I recently read an article about Spanx CEO Sara Blakely that cited an Instagram post she published a few years ago. She stated, “The difference between people who achieve their dreams and those who don’t is simple…action. It’s not about having a ton of brains, or a ton of money, or a ton of experience. It’s about ACTION. Will you or won’t you?”

Source: Spanx CEO Sara Blakely: People who ‘achieve their dreams’ have this trait–’ it’s not about having brains, money or experience.’

Blakely started Spanx in 1998 with just $5000 she had in her savings from selling fax machines door-to-door. She had no background in business or manufacturing and ended up building a billion-dollar brand. And no, things did not just fall into place. She faced plenty of adversity; potential customers slammed doors on her, business cards ripped up in her face, and she struggled to get funding for her business.

Her epiphany was during a sales meeting with Neiman Marcus when her sales pitch was not going well with the buyer. In fact, she was on the verge of losing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She realized she had to “go for it” and moved out of her comfort zone and asked the Neiman Marcus rep to join her in the bathroom, where she demonstrated her product. An odd request, for sure, and not without surprise by the buyer, but an action that resulted in the launch of her multi-billion dollar business with a major retailer.

“Every crisis has its own challenges. But I think the victorious leaders have one thing in common: they share an unwillingness to accept defeat.”

– John C. Maxwell

What Are You Waiting For?

How often do you hear people waiting for the “perfect” moment to get started? “Once I get through school, I will start…once the kids are grown up…once things calm down at this or that…” the list goes on. The truth is, there will NEVER be a perfect time. What separates successful people from the rest is their ability to call themselves and others to action. John C. Maxwell calls this, The Law of Victory. He states, “Every crisis has its own challenges. But I think the victorious leaders have one thing in common: they share an unwillingness to accept defeat.”

Do you need help getting started? Are you making the excuse of waiting for the perfect plan, opportunity, or other timing to act on your dreams? Maybe you need to take the tip from Nike and “Just DO it!” The time to start is now. Make today, right now, your priority, and take action now. Don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of progress. There will never be a better time to start exercising, starting that new business, eating right, or to start whatever it is you want to do than now. A wise Jedi Master once said, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

“Don’t Let Perfection Be the Enemy of Progress.”