I live near a dog cafe—a sensational sentence for someone who grew up reading the Encyclopedia of Dogs and created a magazine in middle school called Crazy about Dogs! When we first moved in and heard about it, I could hardly wait to check it out. But as someone who loves optimization, I wanted to know when it was most full of dogs. I wanted to see maximum puppies.
About a month and a half into living in our new neighborhood, we walked the 15 minutes to the cafe. It was a late Sunday morning in May. And the dog cafe delivered. There were huskies and mixed-breeds and tiny toy pups. There was live jazz! My partner and I sipped slowly as we took in the music (and pet every dog within reach).
Sometimes it makes sense to optimize. When you are traveling in a new place and sticking to a schedule, it can be important to build a plan so you are able to see all the tourist attractions you want. But if you are talking about a coffee shop in your home neighborhood, what’s to stop you from walking by any given day?
I imagine if I went in the middle of the week, there may not be as many four-legged friends as there are on a Saturday or Sunday. But it’s still a great cafe and there will almost certainly still be a dog or two.
This is to say I live here. I can go as frequently as I want. And after I broke the ice and went once, I’ve since found myself there 3 or 4 more times. This might not have been the case had I stayed waiting for the perfect time.
If we spend all our moments waiting until the timing is right or waiting until everything feels perfect, there’s a good chance that we’ll never begin. And the reality is there won’t be a perfect time. Not to start a new project. Not to go back to school. Not to visit the dog cafe.
But there is this time. This morning. This afternoon. This evening. Tonight. Wherever you are reading this, may this serve as your gentle reminder to stop putting off the thing that you want to be doing. It may not be perfect this time around—in fact, it almost certainly won’t be.
But hey now you’ve started. You’ve knocked the dust off. You’re now in a space where you are continuing to do something that is already familiar. You’ve started. And that in and of itself is a huge cause for celebration.
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