“Ready” is a decision you make
Rachel Radway
Helping leaders who're wired a little differently create the conditions they need to thrive | Thought partner • Advisor | Speaker | Author, "Perceptive" (2025)
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One of the most memorable quotes from a 3-day event I attended a couple of weeks ago was this: “Ready isn’t something that happens to you—it’s a decision you make.”
This stuck with me because it applies to just about everything in our lives. There are so many things we tell ourselves we’re not ready for:
🥺 I’m not ready to ask for a promotion.
🥺 I’m not ready to look for a new job.
🥺 I’m not ready to start my own business.
🥺 I’m not ready to start fundraising.
🥺 I’m not ready to record a video and put myself out there.
🥺 I’m not ready to buy a home.
🥺 I’m not ready to invest in myself.
What are you telling yourself you’re not ready to do?
More importantly, what exactly does ready look like to you?
Maybe you think you need to wait two more years before you’ve been in your job long enough to ask for a promotion or a raise. Maybe you’ve heard that you have to be in a job at least six months before looking for a new one. Maybe there’s a mysterious internal sign you’re waiting for that will assure you you’re ready for the next big step.
Those things you’ve been told? Untrue.
That mysterious internal sign you’re waiting for? It may never appear.
What is it that you’re truly afraid of? For many of us, it’s failure. I just learned a great acronym (thank you, Erica Holthausen !): FAIL = First Attempt in Learning. This is perfect, for so many reasons.
If we never fail, we have fewer opportunities to learn. And without challenge, we have fewer opportunities to truly appreciate our successes.
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Too trite? Ok. What’s the real bottom line? What’s the absolute worst possible thing that can happen if you fail? Your boss says no. You don’t get the first few jobs you apply for. Your business takes a while to get off the ground. You don’t raise the money you hoped to. Your video doesn’t get the likes you wanted. The first home purchase falls through.
None of these is something to celebrate…
Unless it is. So your boss says no. You ask for feedback. A couple of things could happen:
🌟 You and your manager work on a plan together that gets you where you want to be. Win, if on a slightly longer timeline.
🌟 Your manager doesn’t believe you’re ready to move up and isn’t willing to work on a development plan and goals with you. This should send a strong message, even if it isn’t one you want to hear. Is this the place for you? Again, this is ultimately a win, if it means you leave sooner than planned and ultimately find a better fit for your skills, talents, and goals.
We can go through this same exercise for all the other examples above—and anything else you think you’re not ready for.
They’re not all going to be immediate wins. There are potential outcomes that could be more challenging. What if you’re really not ready to start your own business?
What exactly does ready look like to you?
Maybe the stakes are a little higher; there might be a few more steps you need to take. What are they? Can any of them be broken down into smaller steps? Can you assign each step a timeline? When are you going to take the first step?
Courage is fear walking, and ready is a decision you make.
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If anything in here resonates with you—or if you disagree with me—I’d love to hear your thoughts, either in the comments or in a DM.
If you know someone who could use some encouragement to move forward, please share this newsletter with them. 🙏
And if you decide you’re ready to move on something you’ve been thinking about, I’d love to support you. Let’s schedule a call. You’re worth the investment in yourself.
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🫶 I help leaders who’re wired differently create the conditions they need to thrive.
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2moExcelllent, Rachel Radway
⚡️ Brand strategist | 🎤 Spoken Word Poet | 🙌🏻 YAY Guide | Author 📗 Over 3 decades of storytelling & brand strategy experience guiding organizations & people to tell their authentic stories in yayful, strategic ways
2moRachel Radway "Courage is fear walking, and ready is a decision you make." And I remember on the very last Magic Lessons podcast Liz Gilbert had with Glennon Doyle where they encouraged us to "Show up before you're ready" which is another take on this I love. In the showing up we become ready. Yay!
Brand messaging specialist | Copywriter + designer 🦄 | Educator | Helping coaches, consultants, and creatives win with their words—online and in person | Star Wars nut | 🙌 🐶🌲🗻 🚲 🥾🌍
2moI wholeheartedly agree. I often talk to clients about getting to a point of readiness vs. done (because with messaging and marketing, 'done' is a myth). But I hadn't considered that getting to that point is really about deciding that you're there. And to your point, only you know what that looks like. It's a big mindset game. Love "courage is fear walking."
Helping build sustainable, human, customer-centric businesses with inclusive teams working excellently together, delivering consistently and reliably | Treating Growing Pains & Scaling | Board Advisor
2moSo wise Rachel Radway I love the line at the end - "Courage is fear walking, and ready is a decision you make. " massively powerful!
Inner Sustainability: Living from the essence of your being 24/7 🧘 Mentor & Coach | Co-Founder | Lineage-Holder & Teacher
2moLove this Rachel Radway and can't hear this kind of encouragement too much 😊 The seeming lack of readiness for me usually is around confidence, and I need to keep reminding myself that confidence grows exactly by doing and learning from the things I postpone.