5,4,3,2,1….GO! The Day I stopped Making Excuses

There I was this afternoon, listening to my favorite podcast, when Mel Robbins' voice filled my earbuds. Can I just say how much I adore this woman? She has this way of cutting through all the noise and getting straight to what matters.

She was sharing her story—you know, the one about being 40, drowning in debt with three kids, feeling depressed and completely stuck. And how she changed everything with the simplest action imaginable. When that alarm went off each morning, instead of hitting snooze and spiraling into her usual pit of despair, she started counting backwards. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... and then she'd launch herself out of bed before her brain could talk her out of it.

That's when it hit me!

I've been doing exactly what she used to do—just in a different area of my life. All this time I've been making excuse after excuse about why I can't start writing, why my website isn't ready to launch. I've been trapped in this endless loop of "I need to think about this more... What if I feel overwhelmed? What should I write about first? Do I have everything I need? Is the timing right?"

Sound familiar? How many times have you told yourself "I'll start that project when..." and then watched weeks, months, even years slip by because you're waiting for all the stars to perfectly align?

That's been my story. For months now, I've been talking about creating this space where I can share my journey—the messy, beautiful, sometimes hilarious adventure of getting my confidence back, protecting my peace of mind, and rediscovering what brings me joy during these incredible senior years. But talking is all I've been doing.

Well, not anymore.

Right here, right now, I'm channeling my inner Mel Robbins. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... GO! I'm sitting at my desk, fingers on the keyboard, taking action instead of just thinking about taking action.

And you know what? It really is that simple.

If you're feeling stuck in your own version of overthinking paralysis, let me share the lightbulb moments that just clicked for me:

Jump in with both feet. Seriously, how will you ever know what works if you don't actually try? You can research and plan until you're blue in the face, but nothing replaces real experience.

Everything can be changed. This one's huge for us perfectionists. If what you're doing isn't working, you can pivot, adjust, or completely start over. Nothing is set in stone.

Perfect timing is a myth. I hate to break it to you, but if you're waiting for the perfect moment, you'll be waiting forever. The perfect timing is whenever you decide to start.

That countdown thing actually works. I was skeptical, but there's something almost magical about Mel's 5-4-3-2-1 method. It's like a mental ejection seat that launches you into action before your brain can sabotage you with doubt.

So here I am, writing my first real blog post, feeling both terrified and exhilarated. My website isn't perfect. My writing might need work. I don't have it all figured out yet.

But I'm here. I'm doing it. And that feels absolutely amazing.

What have you been putting off? What's your version of my unfinished website? Maybe it's time to stop thinking and start counting.

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

Your turn.