Have you ever found yourself saying, “I’ll do that when…”? Maybe it’s “I’ll enter a relationship when my finances are in order,” or “I’ll start exercising once I lose some weight.” We often wait for the perfect conditions before taking action, but this approach rarely works out. More often than not, we end up not doing it at all, staying stuck in a loop of inaction, waiting for the perfect moment that never arrives.

Think about it. How many times have you delayed something important to you because you were waiting for the right conditions? “I’ll travel the world once I’m retired,” or “I’ll have kids when we’re financially stable.” These thoughts might seem practical, but they often are a result of self-limiting beliefs, preventing us from making meaningful progress in our lives.

Here’s the thing - waiting for perfect conditions can be a trap. Life is dynamic and rarely aligns perfectly with our plans. If you’re waiting for everything to be just right, you might be waiting forever.

The concept of "readiness" is something I talk about a lot in my coaching and as a martial arts teacher. Real readiness isn’t about waiting for external circumstances to be perfect. It’s about being prepared to take action regardless of your current situation. It’s about cultivating the qualities and habits that align with the outcomes you desire. Instead of waiting for the right person to come into your life, start becoming the person who is ready for a meaningful relationship. Instead of waiting for more money to be happy, start finding joy and contentment in your everyday life now. This shift in mindset is powerful because it puts you in a position of empowerment and makes you ready to act.

When you are in the energy of "waiting," you cannot truly be present. You’re constantly focused on a future condition that is typically in reaction to past hurt or past mismatched expectations. This lack of presence can cause you to miss out on the opportunities and joys available in the present moment. Life is happening right now, not in some distant future when conditions are perfect.

For example, let’s say you want to learn to play the guitar but keep telling yourself you’ll start once you have more free time. By waiting, you’re missing out on the joy and progress you could be making right now. Instead, start with just a few minutes a day. You’ll find that not only do you start to improve, but you also begin to create the time you thought you didn’t have, simply because you’ve made it a priority. A focus in your life.

When you depend on external changes before you allow yourself to feel a certain way inside or to take action, you miss out on countless opportunities. You’re essentially putting your life on hold, waiting for something outside of your control to change.

Take a moment to reflect on an area of your life where you’ve been waiting for the right conditions. Ask yourself, “What would I do if I already had everything I needed?” Then, start doing those things now. If you want to feel abundant, start appreciating the abundance you already have. If you want to feel loved, start giving love freely. By embodying these qualities now, you create a life that reflects your internal state.

We create whatever we focus on. When you align yourself internally with what you desire externally, you position yourself to seize opportunities as they arise. Imagine someone who wants to run a marathon but is always waiting for "perfect" weather to put in training sessions. By always waiting for the conditions to be just right, half the available training days might be gone. Instead, a determined runner trains in various weather conditions, adapting as needed. This proactive approach leads to a successful race because they were ready and took action consistently.

They figure out a way to tap into the emotional self-leverage needed to show up for themselves and what they want to create and experience. You don’t need to wait for everything to be perfect to start living the life you envision. You have the power to direct your focus and create the internal state that will lead to the external circumstances you desire.

So, the next time you catch yourself saying, “I’ll do that when…,” stop and ask yourself what can you do right now to start moving in the direction of your goal or desired outcome. Take action from a place of readiness, a place of willingness to focus and act, and watch how your life begins to transform.

If you’re looking for a way to cultivate and practice this approach, The Art of Mindful Visioning in our Inner Foundation Series can help you cultivate the internal skills necessary to align with your aspirations. This course offers a comprehensive approach to building the life you envision, starting from the inside out.