You know what’s harder than climbing Everest? Preparing to climb Everest.
The average over-preparer will buy 17 books on mountain climbing (“Gotta understand the theory of altitude sickness!”), join 8 Facebook Groups( the hunt is on for Who will be my Sherpa?), do a 6-month course on Nepalese weather patterns (“Monsoon isn’t the vibe, bro”) and lets not forget Get custom-made thermal underwear (“Swiss technology, if you may”). Meanwhile, the doer? They’re already at Base Camp, sipping coffee, posting a selfie with the caption: Cold AF. Worth it. The moral of the story here is- you’re either doing the thing or becoming a Wikipedia page about the thing. Period.
Preparation is the adult version of “5 more minutes”when your mom dragged you out of bed for school. Preparation becomes a place to hide. Here’s the filthy truth about preparation: it’s intellectual masturbation. All of the pleasure of productivity with none of the mess or commitment of actually producing something. It’s the productivity equivalent of swiping through dating profiles at 2 AM while eating ice cream in bed—exciting possibilities with zero risk of actual human contact. Where you are a mute but willing spectator of a strip tease show called ” almost ready “.
I once spent so long researching the perfect morning routine that the sun literally set and rose again. There I was, bleary-eyed at dawn, reading about the benefits of sleep while actively destroying my own. The irony was not lost on me, but the productivity high was too good to resist.
We are all familiar with these eternal preparers: The Gym Bro – Researches keto vs. paleo for 11 months. Unfortunately, still looks like a boiled potato. The Entrepreneur– Attends 47 webinars on “mindset.” Startup? “Next financial year. The Writer – Buys a ₹15k ergonomic chair, Moleskine, and 12 highlighters. Page 1: “Chapter 1… maybe.
Meanwhile the doers aka Steve Jobs – Didn’t take a “How to Be Visionary” course. Just built Apple in a garage. Or SRK– Didn’t wait for “perfect looks.” Just became King Khan with one crooked smile. The universe doesn’t give a damn about our 5-year plan. It only rewards movement.
The world doesn’t reward your potential. It rewards our output. Nobody claps for the warm-up act. They’re waiting for the main event. So address the FOMO( Fear of Making Output).
There are two species out there. The “ Screw it, let’s do it” gang. And, the “ Wait, I need a vision board, mood board, Pinterest board, and four lattes” crew. You know which one builds rockets. You know which one’s still stuck on Canva.
So, Attention Please: You can’t Netflix your way into purpose. You can’t TED Talk your way into momentum. And you sure as hell can’t “plan” your way out of a rut.
Doing > Dreaming.
Starting > Strategizing.
Failing fast > Finessing forever.
The brutal truth is that the world doesn’t need your prep. It needs your punch. Nobody’s hiring for “potential.” They’re hiring for people who show up, screw up, and still level up.
You can’t go viral in your drafts folder, can you? When you’re preparing, you’re still the hot, mysterious stranger at the bar of life. Your idea is still the untouched fantasy, perfect in every way. The moment you start doing, you risk the morning-after reality: your idea has flaws, execution leaves you sweaty and uncertain, and you might—clutch thin air—need to improve through failure.
Preparation has an expiration date. Prepare enough to not be completely reckless, then dive in. The water might be cold, you might splash awkwardly, but at least you’ll be swimming while everyone else is still reading “The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Pool Entry Techniques.” So what are you going to DO today, not just prepare to do? Whatever it is—that email you’re drafting in your head, that conversation you’re rehearsing, that project gathering dust—consider this your sign. Close the preparation tab. Open the doing tab. Your idea is DOA if it never leaves your head. No one claps for your to-do list. They clap when sh*t’s DONE.
I’ll be right here, not preparing to cheer you on, but actually cheering you on.
Your Call to Uncomfortably Awesome Action: Launch that blog. Even if it’s ugly. Post that video. Even if your lighting sucks. Write that book. Even if your grammar limps. Propose that idea. Even if it’s half-baked. Because newsflash: You’ll bake it better once it’s out in the world’s oven.
Now go do the thing, you magnificent human. Because your idea just called. It wants a pulse, not a plan.
Some final words from the gospel of GSD(Get Shit Done)–Life is a buffet. Preparing is just staring at the menu. Dig in. Chew loud. Make a mess. Repeat.