From Procrastination to Progress: The Choice Competitors Make

What if the thing you're waiting for... doesn't exist?

It may seem odd now that my third book is about to be released and my fourth is scheduled for April with my publisher, but there was a time when I was guilty of waiting for permission to act.

I remember my team pushing me for years back in 2014 to write a book. They encouraged me, prodded me, and gave me every reason to. But I refused.

I didn't feel ready. I felt like others had already said what I'd say. So I put it off. I created excuses to procrastinate and convinced myself that when the timing was perfect, when I had something truly unique to say, then I'd write.

It wasn't until 2019 (five years later) when I was launching my speaking career that reality hit me in the face. I lost five different opportunities to speakers I felt I was better positioned to help than, simply because I didn't have a book.

So I just started writing.

No permission slip. No perfect timing. No guarantee it would work.

I gave myself permission to be imperfect, to write messy first drafts, to put something out there that might not change the world but could change one person's day. And that decision changed everything.

The Permission Trap We All Fall Into

Many of us are guilty of waiting for someone to tell us we're ready.

Ready to invest in that coach. Ready to step up at home. Ready to improve our leadership. Ready to chase that next-level goal.

We wait for our boss to notice us. We wait for our spouse to validate our dream. We wait for some external sign that now is the right time to level up.

But no one is coming to give you permission.

Think about John Krasinski.

For years, Hollywood saw him as "Jim from The Office," the funny guy who made faces at the camera. Even after The Office ended, even after roles in action films like 13 Hours, the industry kept him in a box.

So what did he do?

He stopped waiting for someone to cast him differently. He stopped asking for permission to be seen as a serious filmmaker. Instead, he wrote, directed, and starred in A Quiet Place, a genre he'd never touched before (horror).

The result? A $340 million box office on a $17 million budget. Critical acclaim. An Oscar nomination. A sequel that cemented his place as a respected director.

But none of that happens if Krasinski keeps waiting for Hollywood to change its mind about him.

As he said: "I'd spent my career waiting for someone to tell me I could do something different."

The moment he stopped waiting was the moment everything changed.

It's Time to Give Yourself Permission

Permission isn't something someone grants you. It's something you give yourself. Here's how:

1. Accept That You Might Fail - And Start Anyway

Krasinski said it perfectly: "I had to psychologically prepare myself for failure."

This is where most people quit before they even start. They want a guarantee. They want to know it'll work before they risk looking foolish.

But Competitors understand something spectators don't: the willingness to fail publicly is the breakthrough.

When I finally sat down to write that first book in 2019, I had no idea if anyone would read it. I didn't know if it would land me speaking gigs or if I'd spend $10,000 on a project that went nowhere. But I knew one thing for certain: if I didn't start, nothing would change.

Ask yourself: What would I attempt if I knew I couldn't fail?

Now flip it: What am I avoiding because I'm afraid I might?

2. Commit to Deep, Deliberate Practice

Krasinski didn't just wake up one day and direct a film. He spent a year studying directing frame by frame - analyzing Terrence Malick, the Coen brothers, camera movements, lighting, and visual storytelling.

He admitted, "I went to film school for a year by myself."

This wasn't casual learning.

When I committed to writing 500 words every day back in 2019, I wasn't just trying to finish a book. I was training myself to become a writer. I knew my 100th hour of writing would look different than my first - but only if I showed up consistently.

The same applies to you.

Want to be a better leader? Study leadership daily.

Want to close more deals? Obsess over the craft of selling.

Want to show up better at home? Practice presence like an athlete practices their sport.

Excellence isn't granted. It's built through reps.

Stop waiting for someone to hand you the skills. Go get them.

3. Stop Seeking Permission. Start Creating Opportunity

The biggest shift Krasinski made wasn't technical. It was mental.

He moved from waiting for the right role to creating it.

That's the Competitor's Mindset. You don't wait for conditions to be perfect. You don't wait for your boss to tap you on the shoulder. You don't wait for life to settle down before you invest in growth.

You look at your current reality and ask: "What's one move I can make today that my future self will thank me for?"

Maybe it's hiring that coach you've been considering. Maybe it's finally reading that leadership book collecting dust. Maybe it's having the hard conversation at home you've been avoiding. Maybe it's signing up for that course, joining that gym, or blocking time on your calendar to work on your career instead of just in it.

Permission starts with action, not approval.

I think about those five speaking opportunities I lost in 2019.

Five stages. Five audiences. Five chances to make an impact, all gone because I spent five years waiting for someone to tell me I was ready to write.

The truth? I wasn't any more ready in 2019 than I was in 2014. I just finally stopped waiting.

How much are you leaving on the table by waiting for permission?

How many opportunities are passing you by while you're convincing yourself you need one more certification, one more year of experience, one more sign that it's time?

Your future self isn't built in moments of perfect readiness. It's built in moments when you choose to act despite uncertainty.

You Already Know What to Do

Here's what I know about you if you've read this far: you don't need more information.

You need to give yourself permission.

Permission to invest in yourself. Permission to step up your leadership. Permission to pursue that next level at work or at home. Permission to start imperfectly instead of waiting to begin perfectly.

So let me ask you directly:

What's one area where you've been waiting for permission to take action?

Is it your sales skills? Your leadership development? Showing up differently at home? Starting that project you've been pushing off?

Whatever it is, consider this your sign.

Not because I'm giving you permission.

But because you don't need it.

You never did.