I Know What I Need to Do… So Why Can’t I Do It?
Hello, Lovely Readers – In this blog The Clarity Coach welcomes you to What’s Really Keeping You Stuck? A five-part blog series from The Clarity Coach. Together, we’ll explore the thoughts, beliefs and patterns that can hold us back, affect our confidence and leave us feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about our next steps. Through reflection, practical insights and a little curiosity, my hope is to help you understand yourself better and discover new possibilities for moving forward. If this resonates with you, follow along and sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss the next instalment. Because sometimes, one new perspective can be the beginning of real change.
Maybe procrastination isn’t the problem.
Have you ever found yourself thinking:
“I know exactly what I need to do. So why am I not doing it?”
You have the idea.
You have the list.
You know the next step.
You may even have told yourself, “Right, tomorrow I’m going to get on with it.”
And then tomorrow comes… and somehow you still haven’t done it.
You put it off.
You find something else to do.
You tell yourself you’re too busy.
Perhaps you scroll, tidy, check emails, make another cup of tea or suddenly decide that something completely unrelated needs your attention.
And then comes the guilt.
Why am I like this?
Why can’t I just get on with it?
Am I lazy?
Do I lack discipline?
But what if procrastination isn’t actually the problem?
What if something underneath is getting in the way?
Over the years, through my own experiences and through working with people, I have learned that what we see on the surface isn’t always what’s really happening underneath.
Sometimes what looks like procrastination can be connected to fear.
Fear of getting it wrong.
Fear of failing.
Fear of being judged.
Fear of what might happen if we succeed.
Perfectionism.
Overwhelm.
Self-doubt.
Old beliefs about ourselves.
Or simply feeling so emotionally or mentally overloaded that taking another step feels harder than it “should”.
I’ve experienced that feeling myself.
There have been times in my life when I knew I was capable of something, but knowing I could do something and actually feeling able to access that capability were two very different things.
My experiences in performance, teaching, career change and now business have taught me that capability and confidence don’t always arrive at the same time.
And sometimes, pushing harder isn’t the answer.
Sometimes we need to pause and become curious.
Instead of asking “Why can't I do this?” ask…
“What is making this difficult for me right now?”
That’s a very different question.
It doesn’t judge you.
It doesn’t label you lazy.
It creates space to understand.
Perhaps you’re overwhelmed.
Perhaps the task represents something bigger than the task itself.
Perhaps you’re afraid of what people might think.
Perhaps you’re trying to make it perfect before you’ve even started.
Perhaps you don’t actually want to do it — but you’ve convinced yourself that you should.
Or perhaps your mind and body are telling you that something needs attention before you can move forward.
This is where I believe clarity matters.
When we understand what is really happening, we have more choice and when we have more choice, we can begin to take different action.
A little reflection
The next time you notice yourself avoiding something, try asking:
What am I avoiding?
What am I afraid might happen if I do it?
What am I telling myself about this situation?
Does it really need to be perfect?
What is one small step I could take instead of trying to solve everything at once?
You may discover that the thing keeping you stuck isn’t a lack of motivation at all.
It may be something that simply hasn’t been understood yet.
And sometimes, clarity begins with curiosity rather than criticism.
That’s a lesson I come back to again and again in my work as The Clarity Coach. You don’t always need someone to tell you what to do.
Sometimes you need someone who can help you see what you can’t currently see for yourself.
And once you can see it, you can begin to choose what happens next.
If this has made you think of yourself or someone you know who keeps saying “I know what I need to do, but I just can’t seem to do it” perhaps it’s time to look beyond the behaviour and explore what’s really underneath it.
Sometimes one conversation can be the beginning of a very different way forward.
Clarity creates calm. And from clarity, we can create change.
Author: Zeenat Noorani – The Clarity Coach | Co-founder & CEO, Let’s Talk Better CIC
Clarity, Creates, Confidence & Courage. Conversations that matter ~ One Talk at a time ~
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