Stop Waiting For Permission

I thought long and hard this week about what I wanted to write about for this week’s letter. I brainstormed ideas and half-heartedly started a couple of essays, and yet my brain kept coming back to the same four words:

Stop waiting for permission.

We’re the generation who grew up with reality TV and X Factor winners and overnight successes. We were conditioned to believe that if we were talented enough and worked really hard, someone would swoop in and recognise that. We waited, patiently, for someone to come along and give us permission to go after our dreams.

But life doesn’t work that way. Nobody is gonna knock on your front door and hand you your dream job or a book deal or a successful business. Nobody else is ever going to treat your dreams and aspirations with as much passion or determination as you.

So stop waiting for permission.

The difference between the people who “make it” and the people who don’t is simply the fact that they didn’t wait for anyone to come along and tell them they could do it. That published author isn’t necessarily a better writer than you, they just stopped waiting for permission to write. Your old classmate with the blooming business probably isn’t any smarter than you, they just had the gumption to start.

So stop waiting for permission, because you’re the only person who is going to give it to you. Whether you’re dreaming about taking that next step in your career, trying something new, or even deciding to live your life a little differently, you have to realise that you’re the only person you can do it.

Take the leap of faith. See what’s possible. Sure, it will be uncomfortable. Sure, you might fail. There will be people who doubt your abilities and day when you agree with them. But what’s the alternative? Not chasing your dreams? Not achieving your potential?

Stop waiting for permission and just get started. The world is ready for whatever you’ve got to offer.

This essay first appeared in my newsletter, The Weekly Pep Talk. If you’d like to subscribe for a big old dose of positivity in your inbox every Sunday, you can sign up here.