That thing you keep putting off?
Here’s the real reason you’re not doing it—and what to do about it.
Let’s say you need to complete a project, like a strategic plan, a reorg, or a new product rollout. Your mind floods you with reasons to delay:
- I’m not sure where to start.
- I need a big chunk of time.
- It’s going to take too long.
- It has to be perfect.
You feel stressed and overwhelmed. You put it off, start and stop, research more, and a month later, it’s still unfinished.
It feels like quicksand.
You know you need to clarify the outcome, outline who does what and when, and fill in details. But you’re not doing it.
The real reason? There’s an emotion you’re avoiding. It’s subconscious.
You stall until you’re out of time, then pull an all-nighter and tell yourself you triumphed again.
This approach isn’t sustainable. It strains your health, relationships, and confidence.
Entrepreneurs often tie self-worth to net-worth. Your business becomes your identity instead of something separate.
Instead, face the feelings you’re avoiding.
No one wants to feel inadequate, embarrassed, or rejected. But worrying that your best isn’t good enough is just imagined fear.
You may also resist slowing down because your nervous system craves hypervigilance. Relaxing feels risky.
Or, your inner critic pushes you to rush because it says you’re taking too long.
This pressure is self-created.
What you’re unwilling to feel is exactly what you must face to grow. Otherwise, you’ll keep holding yourself back because of the fear of a FEELING.
Imagine what could happen if you were willing to feel any emotion, knowing it’s temporary and will pass. Would you volunteer for that speech? Launch that new product? Hire someone better than you to run operations?
Chances are, the feeling you fear won’t even happen. But you have to be willing to take the risk.
Break through limitations with this 3-step process:
- Identify the emotion. Recognize the feeling(s) you’re avoiding.
- Accept the feeling. Allow yourself to experience it briefly. Notice it’s just a sensation. It will pass.
- Take action anyway. Move forward despite the discomfort.
Staying stuck means failing ahead of time. Be willing to face feelings without fear, and watch your world expand exponentially.
