Why The Best Time is Now + How To Take Action

You may have heard the saying ‘the best time is now’, however, whenever you think about getting started on something, how often does your brain offer a thought like, “I’m not quite ready yet.” or “It just doesn’t seem like the right time.”?

Maybe you’re planning to launch a project, start a new routine, or finally log in and figure out that financial thing your accountant wanted to know.

But then your brain chimes in:

“Wait—shouldn’t I research a little more first?”

“Maybe I should watch a few more YouTube videos.”

“What if I don’t do it right?”

Suddenly, weeks have passed, and instead of starting, you’re still in planning mode—waiting for that just right moment.

Today, in episode 299 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast, we’re flipping that script. And more specifically, we’re talking about how sneaky versions of front-end perfectionism prevent our ADHD brains from taking action on the things we genuinely want to do—and what we can do about it.

Listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for a summary of the key takeaways.

In Episode 299 You Will Discover:

1. Why “waiting for the right time” keeps us stuck
2. How to recognize when it’s truly time to start
3. Practical strategies to move from planning to action

Why We Tell Ourselves “Now Isn’t the Right Time”

Hey, Everybody! Welcome back to the podcast. How are you? As you heard in the intro, today we’re talking about taking action on the things that matter most to us.

This topic was inspired by one of my clients on a group call…

She mentioned that she’d come in from running errands or picking up her kids from school (a main transition point in the day), and she’d feel swamped about all the next things on her list.

She’d spin in this feeling of overwhelm and indecision about where to start because everything seems so important. And after we talked through the situation, I knew I had to share the concept with you, too, because this one is so relatable.

So why do we do this? Why do we tell ourselves “I’ll figure this out later” or “I just need to be more prepared”—and then never actually start?

One of the reasons is that our brains like to see the big picture first.

We want to understand:

• What exactly am I doing?
• Where is this going?
• What are the key steps?

And if we haven’t had the time to step back and see the full roadmap, our brain resists starting—because it feels like stepping into the unknown.

But here’s the catch… Even when we do have the big picture? Breaking it down into smaller steps is a whole new challenge.

The process of:

• Taking a broad concept and turning it into clear action items
• Figuring out where to begin
• Determining which steps come first and which ones can wait

All of this is incredibly taxing on our executive functions. And because it requires so much effort to slow down, pause, and clarify those next steps, it’s easier for our brain to push it to Future Us.

The problem: We’re waiting for that perfect moment when the beautiful big picture, the clarity of small steps, and the right timing all align. As we all know, those moments are incredibly infrequent.

This sneaky version of front-end perfectionism shows up in so many ways. You might hear it in thoughts like:

• “I should wait until I have more time.”
• “I’ll be more motivated after XYZ happens.”
• “I need to get everything organized first.”
• “It just doesn’t feel like the right time.”

And let’s be real—these thoughts seem logical in the moment. They seem true.

But here’s the problem. If you’re like me, later never seems like the right time, either. And that’s because we’re missing a crucial step.

So instead of waiting for that blue moon to happen on a Thursday but only if it’s a leap year, we instead want to set ourselves up we can approach these projects and tasks that matter at anytime—and do so with less resistance.

And we’ll talk about how to do that in just a moment, but I first want to highlight the other way this “now isn’t the right time” perspective shows up so you can notice if one situation is more familiar for you than the other.

Trying to Do All the Things

Looking at this from a slightly different angle, if we’re not thinking about big projects but rather lots of little tasks on a checklist, the obstacle here is often the fact that our brains struggle to pick just one thing.

Let’s be honest—when we’re going about our days, it’s rare that we only have one thing on our radar, right? Our brains don’t naturally pause and choose that one place to start.

Instead, we try to figure out everything at once:

• I should clean my desk first.
• But actually, I need to respond to that email.
• Wait, but before that, I should figure out my finances.
• And I should probably also meal prep for the week.

And suddenly… It’s too much.

So we don’t start anything.

The more options we have, the harder it is to decide. And when we can’t decide? We wait for that perfect moment when we think things will suddenly feel easier or clearer. And all things being equal, that time never comes.

Instead, one of those tasks eventually gets a pressing deadline, and urgency bumps it into priority. Well this can be an effective approach, I know many of us don’t want to let that sense of urgency drive all of our actions.

The Best Time is Now

What is the right place to start is simply… anywhere?

Now, whether you’re navigating big projects or a list of tiny actions, I want to offer a reframe for all of us to consider. Anytime your brain thinks, “I don’t think this is the best time,” or “I need to find the most efficient way to tackle this list.” or “I’m just not sure where to begin.”

Anytime your brain offers thoughts like this, I invite you to practice a reframe:

• What if the perfect place to start isn’t a specific moment in time?
• What if the right place to start… is just wherever you decide to begin?
• What if the “right thing” is the thing you choose because it gets you into action?

What I often find is that starting is what brings clarity. Not more research, waiting for the right moment or making the most efficient order of operations. When I’m stuck in the spin cycle of indecision, just taking action is the best place to start.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about next—how to recognize when it’s actually time to start and what to do if your brain still wants to wait.

How To Know When to Wait and When to Act?

Now, before we dive into how to take action, I want to acknowledge something important.

Not every delay is a bad thing.

There are absolutely times when waiting is actually the right choice.

So how do we distinguish between a necessary pause and avoidance disguised as preparation?

Here are three questions to ask yourself anytime you’re unsure.

Question 1: Is there an external reason to wait?

Let’s start with the simplest question: Is there something outside of your control that requires you to wait?

For example:

• You want to start training for a marathon, but you just had knee surgery. Waiting makes sense.
• You want to move in 2-3 years, you can probably wait on looking at specific homes on Zillow. Chances are, they won’t be up for sale 2 years from now.

But what about these?

• You want to start a YouTube channel, but you think, “I should probably watch more YouTube vidoes about creating YouTube videos, first.”
• You’re excited about a new routine, but you tell yourself, “I need to make sure I have my planner all set up to hold me accountable before I begin.”
• You have a new business and want to start making offers, but you tell yourself, “I can’t make any offers until I have my CRM, website, podcast, and email service set up and running first.

See the difference?

In the first examples, waiting serves a purpose. In the second examples, waiting is a disguise for different flavors of fear or overwhelm or uncertainty. And let me tell you from personal experience, our brains can create some very logical sounding reasons to prevent us from taking that first step.

Question 2: Will waiting make it significantly easier or better?

This is where our brain likes to trick us.

We convince ourselves that later will be better because we imagine Future Us will:

• Have more time
• Feel more motivated
• Be more prepared

If something feels hard now, it will probably still feel hard later.

Instead of asking, “Will this be easier later?” ask:

• Would more time make a difference, or am I avoiding discomfort?
• Would I truly feel more ready later, or will I be in the same spot?

Sometimes, getting more sleep or the passage of time would make a difference. If that’s the case, amazing. Then maybe now isn’t the best time. But quite often, we’ll find that waiting doesn’t actually change the outcome. Instead, we are prolonging the discomfort of sitting in that stock place.

Question 3: Would Future Me actually be grateful I waited?

This one is my favorite.

Picture yourself a month from now. Two months. A year.

• Will Future You be grateful that you waited?
• Or will they be frustrated that they’re still in the same place?

There may be situations where our future selves would want us to wait. Perhaps you want to get out of some sort of agreement-Elise, a phone contract, something like that. And if you stick it out for another couple of months, you won’t have additional penalties or fees. Future you might be glad that you did decide to wait that extra time before moving forward.

With that being said, I have many more examples on the flip side where I look back and think to myself,

“If I had just started this when I first thought about it, things would be so much easier. Or I’d be so much further along.

And I don’t say that to beat myself up—I say it as a reminder that the best time to start was probably yesterday. The second-best time is right now.

So… Is It Time to Start?

If you ask yourself these three questions and realize:

1. There’s no real external reason to wait.
2. Waiting won’t actually make it easier.
3. Future You will probably wish you had started sooner.

Then—my dear friend—it’s a great sign that it’s time to start.

And if your brain is still fighting back with “I don’t know where to begin…”—stick with me. That’s what we’re talking about next. Let’s put it all together.

How to Take Action: Putting It All Together

1. Clarify Whether It’s the Right Time

As a reminder, you’ve just asked yourself the three questions:

1. Is there a real external reason to wait?
2. Will waiting actually make it easier or better?
3. Would Future Me be grateful I waited?

If you’ve answered no to these questions, you know it’s time to move forward.

The key to the next steps — as I alluded to earlier in the episode — is breaking the process down into three distinct phases of action.

2. Pause to Create Big-Picture Clarity

If the project or task seems too overwhelming to start, it might be because your brain hasn’t seen how the big picture and the small steps fit together yet.

There are 3 main stages to taking action on that big project, and it’s important to see each of those sections as a separate step.

1. Allow time for understanding the big picture.
2. Then, we want another time to map out the smaller steps.
3. Set aside time to start that first small step.

Again, because our ADHD brains have difficulty breaking things into smaller parts, it’s easy to overlook this. But these are three distinct stages involved here. Let’s talk about them.

Start with the big picture

ADHD brains often like to see that big picture overview of what we’re creating and knowing what “done” looks like before diving in. But we also often don’t give ourselves the gift of that time to see it fully flushed out.

If that’s the case for your situation, step one is to take a dedicated moment to zoom out.

• What is the end goal?
• What does “done” look like?
• What are the key steps involved?

This is NOT the time to over-research or get caught in planning mode. The goal here is simply to give your brain enough structure so you know where you’re going.

3. Break It Down into Small Steps

Once you have the big picture, the next challenge is breaking it down into smaller, actionable steps.

This is where many ADHD brains get stuck—because we see the whole thing at once and struggle to break it down into manageable parts.

As you may know if you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, I think this is a phenomenal place to bring in chat GPT, which helps us offload the executive functions and easily break things down into manageable steps. If you have not yet heard my podcast episode on using chatgpt for an ADHD brain, I highly recommend checking it out. I will link to it in the show notes.

---

👉 In fact, if you are struggling with your executive functions, I created a ChatGPT for ADHD brains ebook. It’s completely free, and it gives you ready-to-use prompts that you can simply copy and paste into ChatGPT. The prompts will help you:

• Break down overwhelming projects into manageable steps
• Create structured plans without mental exhaustion
• Generate personalized routines that actually work for your brain
• Organize thoughts and ideas when your mind feels scattered

So if you’re spending your precious mental energy on tasks that are draining your executive functions – planning, organizing, estimating time, mapping out meal plans, you name it – these prompts help you start using AI as your executive function assistant immediately – no learning curve required.

---

Once we have the big picture, the next step is breaking that big picture down into smaller actionable steps. Whether you use AI in some way —ChatGPT or goblin tools— or you work through the steps in your mind, give your brain the gift of smaller steps. This is the smoother on-ramp you need into the work.

It’s helpful to keep the list small

Instead of thinking about all the steps, just focus on the first three or four.

1. What’s one small thing I could do first—in the next hour or so?
2. What would come immediately after that?
3. What’s another step that feels simple and clear?

Limiting yourself to three or four steps gives you less to decide on or hold in your mind, which ultimately makes it easier to start.

And then finally, if your challenge isn’t a big project but rather too many little things competing for your attention, here’s the reframe:

The best place to start is the thing you choose.

It’s not about picking the most important task or finding the perfect order. It’s about recognizing that the sheer act of starting is what matters, not the specific thing with which you start

Because for so many of us, once we start moving, momentum kicks in and propels us along.

Final Takeaway: The Best Time to Start Is the Time You Choose

At the end of the day, though it seems like a well-meaning thought, waiting for the “perfect” time often keeps us stuck.

While it’s tempting to try and figure out the ideal starting point, the reality is:

• Once we have the big picture and the smaller steps, clarity often comes from action, not before it.
• Momentum comes from movement, not from waiting.
• The right thing to start with is the thing you decide to do.

So, my challenge for you is to take the next step today—whether it’s big-picture planning, breaking down the steps, or choosing one small action. Because the best time to start isn’t a moment in the future; it’s the moment you decide to begin.

👉 Want to take these concepts further and apply them to your life? Learn more about how we can work together with my small group coaching program, “We’re Busy Being Awesome,” and one-on-one coaching.

Also, if you know someone who also finds themselves waiting for the “right time” more often than they’d like? Would you be a rockstar and share this episode with them?

You could send it to them in a text message or snap a screenshot and share it on your Instagram stories. Be sure to tag me @imbusyebingawesome so I can give you a shoutout!

Whatever you do, please know that I so appreciate you for tuning in and helping me get these strategies to even more busy awesome brains who need them.

Until next time, keep being awesome. I’ll talk with you soon.

Links From The Podcast

• Learn more about private coaching here
• Learn more about We’re Busy Being Awesome here
• Get the top 10 tips to work with your ADHD brain (free ebook!)
• Discover my favorite ADHD resources
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Planning System
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
• Take my free course, ADHD Routine Revamp

Some of the links included are affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission if you purchase through them. I only recommend resources and products that I personally use and love. Thanks for your support!

Leave IBBA A Rating & Review!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that’s it!
5. Bonus points if you’re willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!

Listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for a summary of the key takeaways.