The Comeback Chronicles Podcast

Breaking the Final Bolt #8: Overcoming the "Perfect Time" Myth

• Terry L. Fossum

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The final obstacle holding many back from success is waiting for the "right time" to pursue their dreams. By exploring personal stories of loss and unexpected achievements, Terry Fossum reveals why taking immediate action—even imperfectly—leads to far greater progress than perpetual planning.

• The hardest step in any journey is the first one out your front door
• "Someday" often never comes, as illustrated by Terry's parents who postponed their travel dreams
• Analysis paralysis prevents people from starting by overthinking and waiting for perfect conditions
• Adopt "Ready, Fire, Aim" instead of waiting until everything is perfectly planned
• Martin Luther King Jr.'s wisdom: "If you can't fly, run; if you can't run, walk; if you can't walk, crawl"
• By not moving forward, you're actually moving backward as time continues passing
• Taking steps on blind faith led Terry to win a survival reality show and become an award-winning actor
• You'll never have more time than you have right now—every day of waiting is one less day to live your dreams

If this has been helpful for you, please let me know. Come back home to ultimatedrivingforce.com and drop me a note. I'd love to hear how this has helped you and what it's helped you do.


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Speaker 1:

If you've been stuck in fear, self-doubt, your past failures and you're ready to break through your comfort zones to finally reach the pinnacle of success in every area of your life, then this podcast is for you. Here's your host Terry L Fossum L Fossum.

Speaker 2:

Now for the final bolt that holds so many people back waiting for the right time. You know we mentioned it briefly in an earlier recording, but this one is so important. It holds so many people back that if this bolt isn't blown, you'll never get off the launch pad. Have you ever said something like oh, I'm just too busy, I need a better plan. There's too much going on. Maybe when the kids are gone, maybe when we're retired? The timing isn't good right now. When I do this, I want to do it right, so I'm going to wait until I can do it right. That's my favorite. I've heard it so many times. Have you ever said something like that before? And then you never got started? Why? Because you're still waiting for the right time and you'll most likely continue to wait for the right time until there's no time left. We're not going to let that happen to you. By the time you're done listening to this recording, you're going to put all of that behind you. You're going to get up off your proverbial butt and then, for the final time, you're going to blow this bolt. Let's get started.

Speaker 2:

I'm an avid backpacker. I love being in the mountains, no matter what the weather, and I've been blessed to climb to the top of many mountains and enjoy the beauty that only comes to those who are willing to work hard enough to get it. So let me ask you, in a 50-mile mountain climbing trip, which step do you think is the hardest? Is it that final step? And I can tell you, in a 50-mile mountain climbing trip, which step do you think is the hardest? Is it that final step? And I can tell you, boy, that final step. You're completely exhausted, barely able to move. You're so close, it's just so hard to do. Or is it when you've done the easy hike through the valley, getting to the base of the mountain? You finally reach the base and then you start that first uphill step, that long, grueling elevation climb that makes your calves burn like someone threw gas on them and lit them on fire. Or is it that first step away from your comfort and security of your base camp, when you first feel the weight of your pack crushing down on your shoulders? No, it's none of those. The hardest step of the entire adventure is the one that takes you out your front door.

Speaker 2:

See, it's easy to talk about the things that we'd like to do. It's easy to dream about the things we'd like to accomplish. Most people spend their entire lives doing exactly that Thinking about doing things, talking about doing things, dreaming about doing things. Now, growing up, we didn't have a lot of extra money, and my parents used to talk about how much they would love to travel. Someday they couldn't do it yet, though, but someday they would. They couldn't do it yet, though, but someday they would. Someday, ah, someday. They dreamed they'd have the house paid off, the kids would be out the door and they'd have enough money, finally, and they'd have enough time. More time, hmm, more time. My dad always walked in the door from work at 5 pm, always every single day, and then one day, right at 5 pm, when he was supposed to come home, a government car pulled up in front of our house, and from that car, the government men stepped out.

Speaker 2:

And those government men were there to let us know that on that day, the airplane carrying my father home from a trip crashed into a mountain and killed him. And someday would never come for my mom and him. Someday would never come for my mom and him. My mom wished with all her heart that they hadn't waited for someday, that they would have traveled, even though they'd have to do it on the cheap and maybe they wouldn't have lots of time. But at least they would have had some time, because now they don't have any time at all. Someday never came for my mom and dad. They never traveled like they wanted. They never went on those extended fishing trips together. They never went out dancing like they always loved to do. They were too busy. Life kept getting in the way. The timing was never right.

Speaker 2:

I can't tell you how many times I've talked to people about getting started on their dreams only to hear them say well, the timing just isn't right yet. When I start something, I like to do it all the way. I don't like to do anything halfway. I want to make sure that when I start I'll be successful. And year after year they keep saying that, listen, the right time to start something is right now. Let me say that again, the right time to start something is right now, and I've heard people say but if I start now, it will take longer because I'm not going to be able to devote the time and energy to do it the way that I'd like to do. But that's simply not true. It's going to take you longer if you wait, because odds are you won't even get started for a very, very long time. And, as it turns out, if you start toward your goal, even slowly, you'll reach it long before you would if you wait for the right time. And what I found each and every time is that when someone takes that first, most difficult step, that step out the door, the momentum starts to work in their favor. The stars seem to align. They find that they had more time than they thought because other things that were wasting their time fade away. They found they had more energy because they have a renewed passion and excitement that comes from exuberance, of actually taking action, of making progress, of starting to believe again that that dream really can come true.

Speaker 2:

Or maybe what's holding you back is that you're afraid, if you'll screw up, that you won't get it perfect. Well, guess what? It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be done. Something is better than nothing, and if you wait until you're going to make it perfect, you'll never get started. We call that analysis, paralysis, analysis, paralysis being paralyzed by analyzing everything to death, the feeling of not being able to do anything until everything is figured out. Analysis, paralysis kills dreams and goals before the first step is even taken. You don't give yourself a chance to fail or succeed. You don't give yourself a chance to do anything.

Speaker 2:

Ready fire aim is one of my favorite phrases. That's right. Not ready aim fire, but ready fire aim. What does that mean? That means that too many people wait until they have the perfect plan in place to move forward, one that ensures them success. I'm here to tell you that the plan doesn't exist. Ready fire aim is one of my favorite phrases, that's right. Not ready aim fire, but ready fire aim. And what does that mean? It means that too many people wait until they have the perfect plan in place to move forward when that ensures them success. But I'm here to tell you that the perfect plan doesn't exist, no matter how good your planning is. Once things start moving forward, plans change. Pull the trigger, man. Take that first step. It's that first step that turns your dream into a reality.

Speaker 2:

I mentioned in an earlier recording that I went on a solo journey deep into the Arctic Circle. Now here's how that came to be. I was sitting at my desk one day and I decided it was time for an adventure. So I pulled out my maps and I saw a town up in the Arctic Circle that looked like it was Inuvik. Huh, that looks cool. Even further north, I saw a town that I later learned was pronounced Tuktuk Interesting, I don't see any road. I wonder how you get there. Huh, I think I'll find out. So I called up my wife and I said guess what? I'm going on a solo adventure deep into the Arctic Circle. Wait what? Yeah, yeah, I think I'm going to go on a little solo trek deep into the Arctic Circle. And when are you going to do this? Thursday, seriously, thursday. I had no idea how to get there. I had no idea what I'd find when I did, but if I waited to figure out all of the details, I probably never would have gone.

Speaker 2:

As a result, I had an amazing adventure have gone. As a result, I had an amazing adventure. An Inuit friend I met in Inuvik, named Kailak, dropped me off to go backpacking, all alone on the permafrost with no one to keep me company for miles and miles and miles and miles, except for millions of mosquitoes. Next, after that, I traveled by boat through the McKenzie Delta to Tuktoyaktuk, where I met another Inuit friend who took me out on his boat to a very special place with the sweetest water I've ever tasted. They're very proud of their water there, and they should be. When I got back to Inuvik, kailak took me get this out on a caribou hunt, a caribou hunt with the Inuits deep in the Arctic Circle. Now there's many, many more adventures and misadventures on that trip, and none of them probably would have happened if I'd waited until I had it all planned out. I guarantee you it wouldn't have been as cool, because if I had it all planned out first of all, I would have tried to stick to the plan, and that's assuming that I even started it to begin with.

Speaker 2:

Now am I saying that you shouldn't have a plan? No, first of all, understand that this kind of thing this is what I do okay, I'm pretty experienced at it, I've got the gear, I've got the know-how to do it. It's what I really enjoy. But what I'm saying is not to wait to start on your journey until you have it all planned out. You can develop a partial plan and continue to develop that plan as you move forward. Learn as you go. Ready fire aim.

Speaker 2:

I love what Martin Luther King Jr said if you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. It doesn't matter if you have to walk slowly, walk. If you have to crawl, crawl. But for God's sake and yours, take action.

Speaker 2:

Too often we think we have to run first. We look at the enormity of the goal and get overwhelmed from the beginning. I'm sure you've heard how to eat an elephant One bite at a time. Don't worry about doing everything at once. Take it one step at a time. The thought of running a marathon is overwhelming to me. I don't even know where to begin, but I can walk around the block, so I'll start there. You may not know how to become a millionaire, but you can look at your spending, cut back on some areas and talk to a financial advisor.

Speaker 2:

Writing a book can be daunting, but going to your computer and starting throwing the ideas you've been thinking of down on the screen. Well, that's doable. If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, that's doable. If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. Let me tell you something by not getting started right now, you're not only not making progress towards your goal, your dream, but you're actually moving away from it. That's right. By standing still, you're actually moving backwards.

Speaker 2:

Listen, time is both a friend and an enemy of us all. Every day, circumstances are lining up more and more that will get in the way of you accomplishing your dreams. And, let's face it, you're not getting any younger. The time to do it is now Still scary. Okay, listen, sometimes you just have to take that first step on blind faith, kind of like Indiana Jones did in the last crusade. You remember when he took a step into that deep crevasse, onto a path he couldn't see until he was actually on it? You remember that Sometimes you don't have any clue how the journey is going to turn out, but you're going to take that step anyway, and that's what happened to me.

Speaker 2:

See, several years ago, I married into three teenage and preteen boys. Yes, that was a leap of faith in itself, but that's not what the story is about. When I did so, I called up my business partners and I said hey, guess what? I just retired. Wait what you know? They say why would you do that? You're making crazy money. I know, I replied, but I can always figure out how to make money. These boys need a positive male role model and I only have one chance to help raise them into honorable men. I'm not going to screw that up. So every morning I would walk them to the bus stop. When they got home from school, I was there. Like it or not, I was there. I became their scout master. I helped two of them become Eagle scouts. I focused completely on raising them into honorable men.

Speaker 2:

Now, after they turned 18 and flew the nest, I was praying to God. Okay, god, what is it you want me to do next? Whatever it is, you lead and I'll follow. Be careful what you ask for, because one day I was checking my email and I got an email from a casting company. Now, I did not apply to any casting company, never did acting anything like that before, no interest at all. And I get this email that says we're casting a brand new survival reality show competition prime time on Fox Network, pitting 10 of the top survival experts in the country against each other, all the while dragging along a complete novice, someone who's not even camped out in their backyard before. And we think you'd be great.

Speaker 2:

Now let me ask you a question. If you get an email like that out of the blue, what do you think? It's a fake, right, it's a scam. And I'm waiting for. Send $10,000 to Nigeria, right? But I called the phone number on the email and that phone call was a two-hour interview Like oh crap, this is real. Now, again, understand. I had zero desire to be on a TV survival reality show. Have you seen what they make them eat? But the problem is, if you're praying to God, going, okay, whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. You lead and I'll follow. You can't say no. Now understand two things. It turned out that I was going to be the oldest survivalist on the entire show. My wife was laughing at me. You're the tog. The tog, what's that You're?

Speaker 1:

the token old guy.

Speaker 2:

Great thanks, man. You know I was going to be that guy you see on these shows. And you go, wow, that's really cute. They've got the old guy on there. You know that's awesome, but he gonna die. Now let's add into that they wanted me to wear my Scoutmaster uniform the entire show. I was going to represent all of Boy Scouts of America. Now they're going, oh, that's really cute. They got the old guy in his Scoutmaster uniform with his little neckerchief and all of that. It's so cute, but he gonna die. And it got worse. It got worse.

Speaker 2:

When we got there, I met two of my competitors. One of them was Ben, a US Air Force survival instructor this guy does this stuff for a living and Brady, a Marine scout sniper. This guy is one of the baddest dudes you will ever meet. He survives beyond enemy lines all the time. It's what he does. I was still able to call my wife at the time and I told her you're right, you were right all along, I'm going to die. I didn't have a chance and I knew it. Okay, I knew it.

Speaker 2:

My greatest fear would be making Boy Scouts across the country look bad on national TV. I've been a scout or a scouter pretty much all of my life. This organization means the world to me. I'm going to be representing all of them. My biggest fear would be I'd let them all down on national TV. See, I told you, we all have our fears, we all have self-doubts. And I told my wife before I left I'm doing this on blind faith. I even told the rest of the survivalists and their partners in the jungle. I believe I have a reason that I'm doing this on blind faith. I even told the rest of the survivalists and their partners in the jungle. I believe I have a reason that I'm supposed to be doing this. I doubt it's to win. I seriously doubt it's to win. In fact, I may be here to help someone else win and I'm okay with that. I'm here on blind faith, god's plan, not mine, and I just have to take those steps and trust. Now I'll say this again. I've said it before that's okay. You may not believe in God, and that's okay. I don't care what you believe in, whether it's the universe or karma, father Time, mother Earth, I don't care but I believe that there is a power stronger than us, and sometimes, what it takes to overcome the fear or the complacency or the excuses or whatever's holding us back is we just have to have blind faith. Just take that first step, having no idea where it may lead you.

Speaker 2:

Something similar happened to me with acting. I've always watched TV shows and movies and I've admired the actors for how much they make you believe what's happening on the screen is really happening in real life. It just always blown me away. So I was about 55 years old at the time, not exactly a spring chicken to get into acting or anything else for that matter. But I knew if I didn't try I'd always wonder anything else for that matter. But I knew, if I didn't try I'd always wonder. And again, I'm not getting any younger either. I'd rather know I can't do something than always wonder if I could have. At least then I can say well, you know what. I gave it a go, at least I know. So get this.

Speaker 2:

I had the audacity to look online for a local acting coach. Slash agent, call her up and I said I'd like to pay you for an hour of your time to evacuate me to see if I have any chance of acting. But know this I have no delusions of grandeur whatsoever. Be honest, be frank. Tell me not to quit my day job. That's all I want to know. So she agreed and I went over to meet her Shortly after I arrived.

Speaker 2:

She asked me so are you good at memorizing? Ah, I'm terrible, I replied. She handed me a script and said you have five minutes and she walked out of the room. Oh crap, I was petrified. With zero, zero experience in anything like this at all, and knowing I suck at memorizing, I'm alone in a room with a script and a camera staring at me. Talk about out of my comfort zone. You could even you could even see my comfort zone from there. Okay, blind faith. Okay, well, I'm here, I might as well try. Five minutes later, as promised, she walked back into the room, turned on the camera and said Go, just like that, no-transcript. So how did I do? Well, probably pretty bad, to tell you the truth. Probably pretty bad, but it was good enough for her to sign me shortly thereafter and, admittedly, with a lot of hard work and coaching from some really great people.

Speaker 2:

I've been in several small movies, some gigs on TV and online. I've even won Best Supporting Actor and Fan Favorite at the 2021 Christian Film Festival. I've even won best supporting actor and fan favorite at the 2021 Christian Film Festival. I've even been a producer, now an award-winning producer. Isn't that crazy? Blind faith? Oh, and the survival reality show. My partner and I won the entire show, each of us taking home a quarter million dollars. The entire show, each of us taking home a quarter million dollars.

Speaker 2:

Listen, you may never be completely confident that you're ready to take that first step. Take it anyway, and it might not be a good time to do it. Take it anyway. You may not feel that you have the support from people around you. Take it anyway. You may not feel like you're ready. Take it anyway. There may be a million reasons why you shouldn't start. Take it anyway. If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. Again, you'll never have more time in your life than you have right now, because right now you have the rest of your life and each day you wait is one day less than you have. Take a second and internalize that Every day you wait is one less day that you have to accomplish your goals, to realize your dreams, to live your life. Now, if you think I'm trying to push you to get up off your butt and get started. You are absolutely right, 100% correct. You know why? Because it's time. It's time it's time to take that first step.

Speaker 2:

I know you can do it because I had a lot of the same challenges you do. I had a lot of the same fears you do, but I blew that bolt and did it anyway. I had a lot of the same excuses, but I blew that bolt and did it anyway. I had to embrace failure and work on my attitude and stop wasting so much time and conquer a lot of the same self-doubts, but I blew those bolts and did it anyway. And finally, when all of those other bolts blew off, that last one couldn't hold me back any longer. It wasn't strong enough on its own and I stopped waiting for the right time. And now it's your turn. You can do it, you will do it. I have faith in you. There is no reason in the world to hold back anymore because you've blown those bolts.

Speaker 2:

Now, before I close, I'm going to ask you for a favor. If this has been helpful for you, let me know. Come back home to ultimatedrivingforcecom and drop me a note. Seriously, please do drop me a note. It'd be great to hear from you. I'd love to hear how this has helped you, what it's helped you do. I'd love to hear your story. I really would. But for now, it's time to take that first step. Write down which goal you're going to conquer. First, set up your ox cart technique. Put on your brown pants, focus on your big rocks, look past your fears and go for it. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Godspeed on your journey.

Speaker 1:

So that's it for today's episode of the Comeback Chronicles. Head on over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen, and subscribe to the show. If you're ready to get over your fears, self-doubts and past failures and break through your comfort zone to reach the pinnacle of success in every area of your life, head over to terrielfawesomecom to pick up your free gifts and so much more. We'll see you next week on the comeback Chronicles podcast.