The Myth of Readiness: Why Progress Doesn’t Wait for Perfect Conditions
A while back, I found myself in that in-between space. Not quite stuck, but definitely not moving. I had the skills. The experience. The ideas. But every time I got close to taking a step forward, pitching the idea, starting the project, making the shift, I hesitated.
I kept telling myself: “Let me finish this one thing first…” “I just need to feel a bit more confident…” “I’ll make the move when it’s clearer…”
And then it hit me: I wasn’t waiting for clarity. I was waiting to feel ready.
That’s the myth so many professionals, myself included, fall into during change. We confuse readiness with certainty, and progress quietly stalls while we wait for it to arrive.
After years of working with frameworks, processes, and tools, this is how my brain works (creating models)😊 .
But this time, it's not for leaner or optimizing organizations' workflows. It's how I make sense of my complexity :)
And now, lucky you! Get to see this...
If you are asking this question... "Why haven't I started yet?" I think this might be helpful.
I call it the 3-Step Progress Model not because it's fancy, but because it's practical.
✅ The 3-Step Progress Model
Like any meaningful shift, whether organizational or personal, it starts with an honest assessment, followed by a targeted action, and then supported by momentum.
🔹 Step 1: Map the Readiness Gap
This is your self-assessment.
📍 Where are you right now?
🏁 Where do you want to be?
🧱 What’s sitting in that space between?
Just like in delivery or performance reviews, once the gap is visible, the path forward becomes actionable.
✍️ Write it down. Don’t fix it yet — just face it.
🔹 Step 2: Choose a Targeted First Move (Your “Messy Start”)
Now that you’ve mapped the gap, it’s time to pick one low-stakes action that addresses it directly.
Think of this as your pilot — not a big bang, just motion.
💡 Gap: Fear of judgment → 🎯 Action: Publish something imperfect
💡 Gap: Lack of clarity → 🎯 Action: Block 30 minutes to think without distractions
💡 Gap: Perfectionism → 🎯 Action: Share work before it’s “done”
Your messy start is designed, not random. It’s the thing that begins to loosen what’s been stuck.
Remember: Progress lives in motion, not perfection.
🔹 Step 3: Climb the 1% Progress Ladder
Once you’re in motion, your job is to keep going, one small shift at a time.
This is the same principle behind every sustainable transformation I’ve seen: We don’t leap. We layer.
Here's the ladder I use:
Progress that compounds is the kind that lasts.
✍️ Your Reflection Prompt for the Week:
What’s one thing you’ve been putting off, waiting to feel more “ready”? And what’s the smallest action you can take today that speaks directly to that gap?
Write it down. Do the thing. Let progress speak for itself.
💬 Let’s Start a Conversation
If this landed with you, I’d love to know:
🟢 Drop a comment or send me a message. Let’s turn this post into a conversation because that’s how real change begins.
Stay in motion, Nidhi Sharma, Founder, ShiftElevates www.shiftelevates.com
#ShiftElevates #StartSmallShiftBig #LeadershipInMotion #MindsetMatters #ProgressNotPerfection #ChangeReadiness #MicroMoves #CareerMomentum