Better Late Than Never

Just Do It™ For Dummies (Like Me)

Lemme just get this straight: I feel like I’m running late. And not just to this blog post.

I feel like I’m late figuring some things out. Late knowing what I want to be when I grow up. Late building my “brand.” Late finding my rhythm. Late trusting myself.

I used to think that by a certain age—30? 40? or whatever arbitrary panic point you prefer—I would have it all dialed in: purpose, peace, and probably a perfectly color-coded planner.

But the only thing I’ve consistently—and objectively—achieved is inconsistency.

And yet here I am. Breathing. Creating. Showing up in fits and starts. And the truth is that’s more than good enough.

THE “ON TIME” MYTH

We’re sold the idea that success happens on a one-size-fits-all schedule:

• Graduate by 22

• Career by 25

• Marry by 30

• Mortgage by 35

• Retire by 65

And somewhere along the way, we enjoy culinary delights, learn yoga poses, and fall in love…with ourselves if not someone else, preferably on a beach in Bali. (Yes, I was a big fan of Eat, Pray, Love.)

But most of us? We flip-flop. We zig-zag. We detour. We get lost, sidetracked, burned out, heartbroken, distracted, and/or more. But instead of pausing to breathe, we guilt trip ourselves and self-flagellate for not being further along.

Here’s an unoriginal point of view: We’re not behind. We’re on our way.

BREATHING ROOM VS. BURNOUT

For me, one of the biggest revelations of aging is realizing that catching my breath is not a luxury—it’s an absolute necessity. I’m not a robot and need time to sort through all the noise. Plain and simple.

Some of us need a longer warm-up. Some of us take scenic routes. And maybe, just maybe, we’re gathering the exact insights we’ll need later—ones that need more time in the oven. What’s the big rush?

RHYTHM IS A DANCER

The corporate world screams, “Just Do It!” like a motivational slap to the face. But what if “just doing it” looked like baby steps? What if it looked like trying again, and again, and again?

Maybe your rhythm isn’t daily. Maybe it’s weekly or monthly or even seasonal. Maybe it’s slower than you want it to be. That doesn’t make it wrong.

The trick is not in matching someone else’s pace, but in honoring our own.

LIFE IS NOT A RACE…

While I don’t subscribe to the rat race mindset (anymore), the classic fable of the hare and the tortoise still manages puts a smile on my face. Especially Tortoise Beats Hare, the Merrie Melodies adaptation from 1941.

While I still love me some Bugs Bunny, in real life I’ve found show-off wabbits tend to be wascally and flame out quickly, so I tend to identify with the tortoise, who always wins, simply by moving forward, turning slowly—inch by inch and step by step:

I used to believe that taking a long time to “get there” meant I was failing.

Now I see it differently. The delays make me more layered and more human.

I have more stories to tell, more scars to show—and more heart to share, too.

PROGRESS FOR DUMMIES (LIKE ME)

So if you’re like me—a work-in-progress who’s still learning as I go—you’re not alone. You’re not broken. And you’re not behind.

Just Do It…in your own damn time.

Best wishes for peace and progress!
Clint 🌈✌️

COLLIDE PRESS is a reader-supported publication.
Please consider becoming a paid subscriber or patron.

Thank you. Yes, YOU, boo!

ON THIS DAY = MAY 12

BIRTHDAYS

• 1812 = Edward Lear = English artist, musician, and writer 🌈

• 1820 = Florence Nightingale = British nurse and social reformer 🌈

• 1887 = Margaret Cuthbert = Canadian-American radio broadcaster 🌈

• 1907 = Katharine Hepburn = American actor 🌈

• 1918 = Mary Kay Ash = American founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

• 1928 = Burt Bacharach = American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer

• 1936 = Frank Stella = American painter and sculptor

• 1936 = Tom Snyder = American journalist and talk show host

• 1937 = George Carlin = American comedian, actor, and author

• 1937 = Gerry Studds = American politician 🌈

• 1940 = Joan Nestle = American writer and Lesbian Herstory Archives founder 🌈

• 1948 = Steve Winwood = English singer-songwriter

• 1950 = Billy Squier = American singer-songwriter

• 1950 = Bruce Boxleitner = American actor

• 1950 = Gabriel Byrne = Irish actor and director

• 1959 = Lola Flash = American photographer and activist 🌈

• 1959 = Ving Rhames = American actor

• 1962 = Emilio Estevez = American actor

• 1968 = Tony Hawk = American skateboarder and actor

• 1969 = Kim Fields = American actor

• 1975 = Jared Polis = American politician and businessman 🌈

• 1978 = Jason Biggs = American actor and comedian

• 1981 = Rami Malek = American actor

• 1983 = Domhnall Gleeson = Irish actor

• 1986 = Emily VanCamp = Canadian actress

• 1987 = Robbie Rogers = American professional soccer player 🌈

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• National Limerick Day

• National Odometer Day

PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.”
George Carlin

“When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat.”
George Carlin

MORE COLLIDE PRESS

• SHOP = Art Prints + Merch + Pride

• SUBSCRIBE = Substack + YouTube

• SUPPORT = Amazon + Ko-Fi