Start Now

I recently read an article that said success is not about having more. It is about removing clutter and focusing only on what you want to do. This means cutting out the noise around you. That includes wasting time on social media, procrastinating endlessly, and sinking into the trap of too much comfort.

A constant theme throughout my writing is the idea of facing discomfort and taking action. Humans have a natural tendency to delay and make excuses. For students, it is leaving assignments until the last night. For others, it is postponing their dream of starting a business until they feel more "ready." The common thread is clear. Whatever brings short term discomfort is exactly what we avoid, even though it possibly holds the highest return on our quality of life. That is simply not the way to live.

A comedian once said that all self-help books and advice boil down to two words: prioritize later. In other words, prioritize comfort for later, not now. This is the essence of delayed gratification. The longer you delay gratification and comfort, the better your life becomes. Purpose ties deeply into this. The sooner you find something meaningful to pursue, the more reasons you have to live with energy and content. You can have many purposes over time. The key is starting now. Challenges and setbacks make life interesting. Overcoming them gives life meaning.

This brings me to the core message. Start now. Humans love to avoid discomfort, but discomfort is the only true gateway to success. The recipe for success is simple in theory. Find something to do. Learn deeply and do it consistently, even if you feel clueless for a long time. Reflect on your progress. Keep compounding.

Take two examples. A student wants an A grade. They start studying early. They feel lost at first, but they keep experimenting, meeting professors, and reflecting after every exam. Eventually, by layering improvements over time, they master the material and get the grade they wanted. Or think about gaining muscle. A person starts lifting weights. At first, they feel overwhelmed. They hire a trainer or watch tutorials. They track what works and what does not. Over months of small improvements, they build the body they dreamed of. The same cycle applies to business, tech, sports, and every other ambition.

The mistake happens when we think we have infinite time. We believe later will be easier. This is a lie. If you want to learn a language, the younger you start, the better. If you want to build strength, the earlier you start, the stronger you become. The younger we are, the more energy and risk-taking ability we have. Waiting only makes the hill steeper.

There are only five real obstacles. Lack of knowledge. Fear of discomfort. A poor environment. Fear of failure. Believing money is necessary to begin.

For knowledge, there has never been a better time to learn. You have endless resources on YouTube and the Internet, but even better options exist. First, use LLMs like ChatGPT wisely. They can teach you more than any textbook if you ask the right questions. Second, reach out to people directly. I have learned countless lessons by asking strangers on X, joining communities, and speaking to experts. Third and most important, learn by doing. Certificates and endless reading will not save you. Action is the real teacher.

For environment, the solution is to change it. Surround yourself with people who push you higher. If you want to be an elite athlete, you train with the best. If you want to excel in studies, you work with smart students and great teaching assistants. If your physical environment cannot be changed easily, then change your digital environment. Adjust your algorithms to show you high quality ideas. Listen to podcasts that stretch your thinking. Join communities of ambitious people. Contact mentors online. That alone can upgrade your environment by twenty percent or more.

For the fear of failure, the answer is simple. So what if you fail? If you aim for the stars and miss, you still land on the moon. If you dream of climbing Mount Everest and only reach halfway, you have still achieved more than those who never left their homes. Pour your energy into Plan A and watch how your Plan B naturally strengthens too.

For the belief that money is necessary, it depends on what you want. Becoming a great athlete, researcher, writer, or sportsperson does not require much money to start. Cheap equipment and a lot of initiative go a long way. Even entrepreneurship does not need big capital at the beginning. You can create powerful applications with free or cheap tools. You can use automation like n8n to market yourself. If your dream is non-technical, start even smaller. Find a few loyal users. Build a personal brand online. Iterate and compound from there. Vision grows from small seeds.

There is an idea about cars I came up with that captures this perfectly. The hardest part of driving is starting the engine and building initial speed. Once you hit cruising speed, staying in motion becomes much easier. Occasionally you need pit stops to refuel. Every few months, you may need longer maintenance breaks. It is the same for humans. Starting and accelerating is tough. Staying in motion is easier. That is why you see people who are already moving continue to go faster while those who never start stay stuck. Short breaks refresh you. Longer pauses every few months rebuild you. But the key is to keep moving.

If you understand this, you have two choices. Stay parked or crawling at thirty kilometers per hour. Or start the engine, hit your maximum speed, and cover distances you never thought possible.

If I were you, I would choose the second option.

Always.

Saad.