The difference between where you currently are and where you intend to be is your willingness to take action.

It is common knowledge that to become good at anything, you must start as a beginner and work your way into mastery. However, in reality, we’re not always eager to get started. We spend much time and energy hoping, planning, preparing — anything but actually taking action. This inaction is often shrouded in the excuse that we aren’t “ready”.

I’ve been there myself, and I thought I was making progress with all the planning, but I wasn’t. I eventually realized I was only delaying the inevitable phase of learning the ropes, and if I didn’t learn to take action, my plans were more or less useless. So, I decided to do things differently.

I decided to risk it all and bet on myself.

I decided to shun my fears and commit to the learning curve required for growth, and I recommend you do the same.

Why You Need to Bet On Yourself

You are capable of more than you know.

Whatever you think you’re capable of, chances are you’re capable of much more.

You possess a well of untapped potential waiting to be harnessed. The problem is that you have a false perception of your capabilities, and sometimes, a simple mindset shift is all it takes to break the dam and release the river within.

We often undermine the value of our knowledge and skills because they come naturally to us, and we assume everyone knows what we know. That’s usually not the case. You’d be surprised how much you have to offer if only you commit to putting yourself out there.

Someone out there with half your skills and abilities is making twice as much progress simply because they decided to take action.

You will never feel ready.

Confidence and credibility are built in the process of doing.

As I mentioned earlier, I had been stuck in the planning phase for a long time. I had elaborate plans outlined and regularly ruminated on them, but I failed to take action. I was concerned with potential execution failures and didn’t feel ready at the time.

Well, I still don’t feel ready, but I am learning that it’s okay to learn on the job. True confidence stems from experience and is only developed as you take action. The more you execute, the more confident you are in your skills. Over time, you’d accrue a substantial body of work that would serve as proof of your credibility.

Step out of your comfort zone and start before you’re ready.

The potential reward is worth the risk.

You are your greatest investment.

Depending on the market situation, the value of stocks on Wall Street may rise or fall. However, investing in yourself always guarantees profitable returns. You can invest in yourself by enriching your mind through books or by association. You can expose yourself to resources that increase your “stock value”.

As good as those channels are, I would categorize them under “low-risk investments”. They have their rewards, but we can increase our earnings by engaging in the high-risk investment of taking action.

Commit to lifelong learning, but even more importantly, commit to seeking opportunities to act on the things you already know.

Betting on yourself requires some courage. We can’t always predict where our actions will lead or how soon before we see results. However, we are in control of our efforts, and the determination to show up every day increases your odds of success.