Written by Karen D. Swim

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”  –Abraham Lincoln

Are you standing on the sidelines assessing, reviewing and analyzing or are you suited up and in the game? I’ve got my issues with Abe but the quote above hit me square in the eyes. There are things I wanted to do but waited. I waited for:

• The perfect conditions (they never came)
• More information (which I gathered and never applied)
• Proof that it would work (the proof turned out to be doing nothing equals nothing)
• The perfect me (like that would ever happen!)

My waiting did not make me smarter, or the market more ready for what I had to offer.  I would not advise a novice swimmer to jump into the deep end of the pool. But I would tell them to  get into the water. Go ahead and start out at the shallow end but for Pete’s sake to learn to swim you gotta get wet!

You could watch other people swim, you can gather information but without actually getting in the water you’re just another schmo on the sidelines getting splashed by the people who had the guts to be in the pool, even at the shallow end.

It’s hump day, and from where I stand, the water is looking good.

Have you ever waited yourself out of an opportunity? What did you learn?