If you keep waiting to feel ready, you'll die waiting
Notes on gigants - Number 65
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The following letter is part of our “Notes on Giants” collection, in which we explore the thoughts and lives of humanity’s greatest minds.
🏷️ Categories: Motivation, Procrastination.
In 19th-century Paris, a young man named Auguste Rodin wanted to become a sculptor.
He didn’t fit the ideal profile. The truth is, he didn’t have the prestigious education that opened doors in the art world. In fact, he applied to the École des Beaux-Arts, the leading art institution of his time, and was rejected.
Then he applied again.
Rejected.
Then he applied a third time.
Rejected again.
Yes—he was rejected three times.
Most people would have quit after the first rejection, maybe the second. If you’re among the few who would have tried three times, you’d probably have one sentence permanently etched into your mind:
“I’m not good enough.”
Perhaps Rodin thought the same. But he refused to let that belief extinguish his desire to keep creating every day (Rodríguez, 2004).
So he did what very few people would have done: He kept working anyway.
He moved forward without the formal training that supposedly had to come first if you wanted to become an artist. Instead of waiting to be admitted and educated by the academy, he got to work on his own.
He taught himself.
He studied on his own.
And because he refused to give up, the results eventually came.
Over time, that young man rejected by the academy would go on to create masterpieces such as The Thinker, The Kiss, and The Gates of Hell. The artist who had been turned away by the most prestigious institution in his field would eventually become one of the most celebrated sculptors in history. Surpassing many who had been accepted.
The lesson isn’t in the final outcome.
The lesson is in what he did before the outcome arrived.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment
There’s an idea that holds us back more than we’d like to admit: The belief that we must first feel ready before we act.
First, validation.
First, connections.
First, confidence.
First, clarity.
And only then...
Begin.
The problem is that real life rarely works that way. Rodin didn’t start after everything was in his favor. He didn’t start after graduating from art school. He didn’t start after someone important chose him.
He started long before that.
He started while everything was still uncertain.
He started before he had any institutional legitimacy.
He started while he still had every reason to believe he wasn’t good enough.
That’s what makes his story so useful.
It reminds us that you don’t need perfect conditions—or applause—to begin.
You simply have to begin
Most people interpret rejection as the end of the story.
A few people—the stubborn ones—see it as part of the process. While most treat a lack of preparation as a reason to postpone trying, a small minority take action despite their doubts and learn as they go.
After studying dozens of artists over the years, I noticed a clear pattern.
One of the biggest differences between those who eventually produce remarkable work and those who spend years stuck without accomplishing much is this: The former don’t necessarily have more talent. In fact, they sometimes have worse circumstances. But they often achieve far more simply because they didn’t spend years waiting.
Rodin could have waited for an acceptance letter that never came.
He could have decided that without the right support, continuing made no sense. Wanting to become an artist and being rejected three times is enough to make anyone believe they weren’t meant for it. He could have told himself an incredibly convincing story about why he should quit.
Instead... He worked.
He didn’t have an easy entrance into the art world. Now he is art history.
Discomfort is inevitable
If you’re trying to do something meaningful, here’s something worth accepting as early as possible: You probably won’t feel ready.
Not completely. Not today.
And maybe not ever. If the project matters... If the challenge is real... If the goal requires you to grow... Then doubt is perfectly normal. We’ve all experienced that uncomfortable feeling more times than we’d like.
But there’s no way around it.
It’s part of the process. Maybe you don’t want to sculpt a masterpiece like Rodin. Maybe you want to write a book. Change careers. Start a business. Lose weight. Launch a creative project. Or finally take the leap on something you’ve been postponing for far too long.
Just remember: You don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin.
The path becomes clearer as you walk it. When I started Mental Garden, I had no idea what I was doing. Everything scared me. But I wrote anyway. Over time, the path began to reveal itself. Today, you can start with what you already know. With the resources you already have. With the experience you’ve accumulated so far. It may not be enough to get it right on the first try. But once you begin, you’ll gradually understand how to reach your destination.
We’re all, in one way or another, starting from an imperfect place.
The difference is that very few people actually start.
I hope you choose to be one of them.
Stay creative.
— Álvaro
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References
Rodríguez, D. (2004). Figuras de la Francia moderna URL
So true. If you don't start, you can't succeed
So interesting that I was delayed in reading this until now, just after hearing a related interview on NPR. https://the1a.org/segments/pending-how-to-make-a-decision-profesionally/