There’s No Such Thing As Bad Timing

Hate To Break It To You is a recurring feature wherein we dispense succinct home truths that everyone could benefit from facing up to, unpleasant as they may be.

Before the eyebrows start raising, let me clarify. I don’t meant that there’s no such thing as bad luck, misfortune, or ill-timed dramas that might befall us. Having your sewer pipe break on New Year’s Eve and start spewing raw sewage into your basement and not being able to find a plumber in the whole town who’ll take the call (true story, heard it myself)? Well, that just flat out sucks. Ditto spilling a caramel macchiato down the front of your shirt 15 minutes before a job interview. But this isn’t the bad timing I’m talking about.

Photo by Brittany G

There’s absolutely no such thing as bad timing when it comes to making a decision or taking an action to improve the quality of your life or increase your happiness. Simply does not exist in this context. Sure, there might circumstances under which it would be more/less convenient or would require more/less effort to execute or  under which you have fluctuating level of resources to support your decision, but those things aren’t dealbreakers. If you want something enough, if you are rational and reasoned about the work or sacrifices required to achieve it (and many people aren’t, let’s be honest) then the timing becomes immaterial. Your commitment supersedes it. Deciding to have a baby, start your own business, move from Bangor to Austin, or to quit your job to go back to school to become a plumber (preferably one who works holidays) will always be a big flippin’ deal. There is no point at which big-ticket decisions like these will seem easy and there will always be drawbacks, hurdles, and cons to implementing your choices. This isn’t a case of bad timing standing in your way, it’s just life. And you’re fooling yourself if you think you can outwait these circumstantial downsides. As soon as one resolves itself, another will pop up to take its place. And really, once you’ve  identified what would improve your life, isn’t going years without it (whatever/whoever it may be) as you mark the days until the perfect time*  to make your move  more of a sacrifice and a hardship than any uphill battle you might face if you simply took that leap of faith right now? Besides, who knows when your metaphorical sewer pipe might burst and damn all your best-laid plans, anyway.

If there’s no wrong or right time, that means that the best we get is being able to develop the ability to honestly appraise our lives, to decide what would make us happier and what we’re willing to offer up or do without to achieve this happiness. Short-term hardship vs. longer-term emotional deprivation; you’re the only one who makes the call. Leave timing (for better or worse) out of it.

* Doesn’t exist either, kiddos.