It’s one of the most frustrating feelings in the world:
You have goals, dreams, and things you want to accomplish, but no matter how much you think about them, you just can’t seem to get moving.
You tell yourself you’ll start tomorrow, next week, or when the timing is right. But somehow, days turn into months, and months turn into years.
For the longest time, I thought my problem was laziness. I blamed myself for not having enough discipline or motivation. Eventually, I realized something that completely changed the way I approached taking action.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of inaction and frustration, I get it. Here’s what finally helped me break free and start moving forward again.
1) I stopped believing that motivation would magically appear
For the longest time, I waited for motivation to strike. I told myself that once I felt inspired, once the timing was right, once I had the energy—then I’d finally take action.
But that moment never came. Or when it did, it disappeared just as quickly as it arrived.
I thought successful people had some endless well of motivation that I simply lacked. But the truth is, they don’t wait for motivation. They start taking action first, and the motivation follows.
Once I stopped waiting to feel ready and just started doing something—anything—things slowly started to change.
2) I made progress before I felt confident
For a long time, I thought confidence was something you needed before you started. I believed that once I felt sure of myself, then I could take action without hesitation.
But when I look back, I realize that waiting for confidence was just another excuse to stay stuck.
I remember staring at my laptop for hours, convinced I wasn’t ready to start a project I had been putting off for months. I told myself I didn’t have enough knowledge, that I needed more preparation, that someone else could do it better. The fear of failing—or even just looking foolish—kept me frozen in place.
Eventually, I got tired of my own excuses and just started. And something surprising happened: the more I did, the more capable I felt. Confidence didn’t come first. Taking action did.
3) I realized that action creates its own energy
Pablo Picasso once said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
For years, I thought I needed to feel energized before I could start. If I was tired, unmotivated, or overwhelmed, I assumed the best thing to do was wait until I felt ready. But the more I waited, the harder it became to start.
One day, I decided to test a different approach. Instead of waiting for energy, I told myself I’d work on something—just for five minutes. No pressure, no expectations. And almost every time, those five minutes turned into an hour. Once I got moving, the energy and focus seemed to follow.
I had spent so long believing that energy had to come first. But in reality, taking action created the very energy I was waiting for.
4) I made decisions faster to avoid mental exhaustion
The human brain makes thousands of decisions every day—what to eat, what to wear, when to start a task. The more decisions pile up, the more mentally drained we become, even if we don’t realize it.
I used to spend so much time debating simple choices. Should I work in the morning or afternoon? Should I start with this task or that one? Should I wait until I feel more prepared? By the time I finally decided, I had already wasted so much energy that even the easiest tasks felt overwhelming.
Eventually, I started making decisions faster—choosing a direction and just going with it instead of endlessly weighing my options. And the less mental energy I wasted on overthinking, the easier it became to actually get things done.
5) I focused on systems instead of willpower
For the longest time, I thought my problem was a lack of willpower. I blamed myself for not being disciplined enough, for not pushing through resistance the way I imagined successful people did.
But willpower is unreliable. Some days I had it, most days I didn’t. And relying on something so unpredictable meant my progress was just as inconsistent.
What finally helped was building systems—small routines that made action automatic instead of a daily battle. I set specific times for tasks instead of waiting to “feel like it.” I removed distractions instead of relying on self-control. I made it easier to start than to procrastinate.
Once I stopped making everything a test of willpower, taking action became less about forcing myself and more about following a process that worked.
6) I stopped setting huge goals without a plan
I used to set big, ambitious goals and get excited about the possibilities. But after the initial excitement wore off, I’d feel completely overwhelmed. The goal seemed too far away, too complicated, too much for me to handle.
Without a clear plan, I’d either procrastinate or give up entirely. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to succeed—I just didn’t know where to start.
Eventually, I shifted my focus. Instead of fixating on the big end result, I broke things down into ridiculously small steps. If I wanted to write an article, I’d just start with a single sentence. If I wanted to work out, I’d aim for five minutes instead of an hour.
Once I had small, manageable steps in front of me, starting didn’t feel so overwhelming anymore. And the more small steps I took, the faster those big goals stopped feeling impossible.
7) I held myself accountable in a way that actually worked
For years, I tried to rely on self-discipline alone. I’d make promises to myself, set deadlines, and tell myself that this time would be different. But when no one was watching, it was too easy to let things slide.
At one point, I started telling a friend about my goals—not just casually, but with real accountability. I told them exactly what I planned to do and by when. And suddenly, putting things off didn’t feel like an option anymore.
It wasn’t about pressure or guilt—it was about knowing that someone else expected me to follow through. Even something as simple as checking in once a week made a massive difference.
I realized that discipline isn’t just about willpower. Sometimes, the best way to stay consistent is to make sure you’re not the only one keeping track of your progress.
8) I stopped being so hard on myself
For the longest time, I thought beating myself up for being “lazy” would somehow push me into action. I’d call myself unmotivated, undisciplined, not good enough. I thought if I felt bad enough about procrastinating, I’d finally change.
But all that self-criticism did was make everything harder. The more I told myself I was failing, the less energy I had to actually do anything about it.
Things only started shifting when I stopped treating every setback like proof that something was wrong with me. Instead of seeing a bad day as a reason to spiral, I just focused on getting back on track the next day.
Taking action became easier when I stopped making it personal. It wasn’t about proving anything to myself—it was just about doing the next small thing and moving forward.
The bottom line
Taking action isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment or suddenly waking up with endless motivation. It’s about starting, even when it feels messy, uncomfortable, or uncertain.
Progress builds on itself. The more you move, the easier it gets. Each small step rewires your brain to see yourself as someone who follows through.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Each time you choose action over avoidance, you’re casting a vote for a more capable, confident version of yourself.
Old habits won’t disappear overnight, but they don’t have to define you. What matters is what you do next. If you’re ready to take that first step, start small—just one simple task today. The momentum will follow.
