Some advice hits at the perfect moment—and sticks with you forever.
One of those lines came from my friend Gretchen Rubin’s new book Secrets of Adulthood:
“What can be done at any time is often done at no time.”
Oof.
Guilty. As. Charged.
The Problem
Most of us aren’t short on ideas. We’re short on urgency.
The overdue 1:1 you still haven’t scheduled.
The follow-up email you’ve drafted… but haven’t sent.
The bold ask you keep putting off.
But if it can be done anytime…
…why hasn’t it been done yet?
The Big Small Thing
Pick one thing you’ve been avoiding. Not because it’s hard, but because it’s optional.
Then do it. Before lunch.
No overthinking. No perfecting.
Real life example: I’m sitting on several things I’ve been avoiding right now.
So many folks have made intros as part of the Wild Courage launch, and I haven’t gotten back to everyone. What if they don’t pick me for their podcast? What if they think my book is terrible? What if they like me on paper but not in real life?
These are WARM intros—and I’m STILL procrastinating writing back! Think of how much harder this is when the goal is proactivity out of the blue.
The lesson? Do it anyway.
Need a jumpstart?
- Ask for feedback from your manager (or a skip-level leader)
- Follow up on that networking intro you’ve been sitting on
- Say “yes” to the visibility opportunity you almost passed up
- Finally block 30 minutes to update your resume or portfolio
- Pitch the bold idea that’s been floating in your drafts folder
Is it the “perfect time”? Probably not.
But perfect timing is a myth. Momentum comes from action—not readiness.
How This Helps You Get What You Want
When you take action on something that could wait…
✅ You build trust (with others and yourself)
✅ You create opportunities instead of waiting for them
✅ You feel less stuck—and way more in control
If that “thing” you’ve been putting off matters…
Make it real.
Make it time-bound.
Then make it happen.
And if you want more one-liners that stick with you (and shift the way you lead, work, and live)—grab Gretchen’s new book Secrets of Adulthood.
I loved it. You will too.
