When we ask people who are hesitant to try something new, “What’s stopping you?” The number one response is almost always, “I’m afraid.” We must understand that fear of failure is what keeps us in familiar spaces, preventing us from entering rooms and conversations that need our fresh outlooks and new perspectives.

We must not allow fear to govern our actions; however, we must also recognize the equally perilous force of procrastination. We grow accustomed to telling ourselves, I’ll start the business later. I’ll change the world tomorrow. I’ll apply for that position another time. But when is later? When will it come? What excuses do we create when later passes us by? These are struggles we all face in our daily lives, but I pose a simple question: Why not now?

I often remind people who say, “I’m afraid to do it,” that fear is an acronym: False Events Appearing Real. The scenarios your mind creates to hold you back from success are not real; they are mental roadblocks preventing you from driving toward greatness. Yet procrastination can do even greater harm to our well-being.

In the current state of our country, many are made to feel voiceless, especially minorities. We are made to feel as though we have no room to dream. But we must remember: the greats before us had dreams too. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. carried a dream born in hesitation, yet he did not procrastinate. He saw a new future on the horizon and moved toward it. In times like these, we cannot allow fear to cause us to delay what must be done.

What must be done is simple: follow the ideas you wrote in your notes app on January 1st, the ones you promised yourself you would pursue this year. Twelve months from now, you will either have twelve months of progress or twelve months of excuses.

We are a people of brilliance and creativity. Innovators. Trendsetters. Our impact is visible in film, public law, and education. Those who shaped history did not allow procrastination to stand in their way. They acted. They prioritized purpose over comfort. They may not have fully understood the magnitude of their change in the moment, but they knew they were doing what was right…what was placed on their hearts.

Each of us carries a gift unique and irreplaceable, a gift the world is waiting to see. But your procrastination may try to speak louder than your purpose. Do not let it silence the urgency of your potential.