Willing and able

To do something, to do anything, most people think you need to satisfy two conditions. Most people think you need to be both willing and able. I used to think that too.

It makes sense, right? If you want to lose weight, you have to be both committed and have a solid movement and nutrition plan. If you want to start a business, you need the tenacity to push through the uncertainty, as well as an economically desirable skillset.

But here’s the problem. When we think of doing something, we skip ahead. We jump to the part where we’ve got it all figured out. Where we have a specific weight loss plan, where we have a bonafide business plan and systems in place. We jump ahead to the point where we are both willing and able. But there’s a step before that.

The two conditions above, willing and able, both need to be satisfied in the end. But in the beginning, only one will suffice. If you’re willing, the able will take care of itself eventually.

What makes people decide to change is the desire to change. We have to be willing before we can learn to be able. So next time you’re considering making a change or doing something, either minor or major in nature, forget about ability. As long as you have desire, as long as you are willing to push on and confront the challenges, you’ll figure out the rest. In the beginning, ability is far less important than will. Because will, if it endures, always finds a way.