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You Gotta Jump Right In

Are you standing on the sidelines of your dreams? Chris Gardner says stop procrastinating.

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When I was a kid, we played a jump rope game called double Dutch — where you had to jump over two ropes swinging in opposite directions. Picking just the right moment to jump in was a practiced art form.

Inexperienced jumpers would do a little dance of hesitation as they tried to pick their spot or wait for the perfect opportunity. They’d bounce up onto the balls of their feet, hesitate and fall back onto their heels. We used to call this little dance “digging your potatoes.”

Why do I bring up that memory? Because it reminds me of a very valuable and simple lesson that I've carried with me: If you’re looking to instigate a change in your life, there’s no better or worse time than right now. You can't stand there digging your potatoes. You just have to jump right in!

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