5 Ways to Stop Hesitating & Take Action

Updated May 2024

We’ve all been there – you have a project that you’re supposed to get started on, but you just haven’t done it. What keeps you from beginning? What can you do to overcome this resistance?

In this post, I’m going to share five ways I overcome hesitation and take action when it’s critical to get started.

1. Define the next physical action

David Allen shares a beneficial exercise that will help you overcome the friction you feel to begin on a specific task in his book Getting Things Done. It comes down to getting clarity on the next action you need to take.

Let’s say you have a task on your to-do list that says, “Get better health insurance.” That’s a tough task to complete, and an easy task to put off because it’s unclear what the next step is to complete the action.

Instead of writing a vague task, try to identify the next physical action that you can see yourself doing. In order to “Get better health insurance,” what action would you need to take?

Well, it turns out that your friend Mark recommended you talk to John, a rep for a more affordable health insurance provider. The problem is, you don’t have John’s number. You need to get it from Mark.

Bingo – that’s it! The next physical action you need to take is to “Text Mark and ask for John’s phone number.”

Often we get stuck on a task because we haven’t done the work to think through what needs to be done next. Defining the next physical action will get you unstuck.

2. Follow the 2-minute rule

We’ve all been there — we’re supposed to be focused on moving an important project forward, but trivial things like taking the trash out or responding that person’s message are stealing our attention.

I love James Clear’s “2-minute rule”. He’s a productivity expert and author of Atomic Habits. He suggests if a task can be done in under two minutes, just do it right away. This can be a great way to tackle those little to-dos that pile up and contribute to procrastination.

3. Start with 15 minutes

Sometimes when I’m thinking about beginning a project or a task, I can feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of the undertaking. I wonder whether I’m doing it the best way possible, and I start overthinking everything until I talk myself out of getting started.

One of the best ways to overcome this kind of thinking is to dive in and do 15 minutes of work on a project.

Make a commitment to yourself that you will do a minimum of 15 minutes of work, but that if you don’t feel like working on it anymore after 15 minutes, you can stop.

I find that I usually build up enough momentum or excitement in my project after 15 minutes that I continue working on it.

4. Schedule it in

Time blocking has become a powerful resource for me to overcome procrastination. When working on a project, I simply block off time on my calendar to work on the task. This creates focus and forces me to take action on next steps.

Treat the task like an important appointment. Block out time in your calendar, set a timer, and commit to focusing on just that task during that designated time. For ultimate focus, turn off your phone to avoid distractions.

If you’d like to learn more about we time block our schedule at Knapsack to reduce stress, check out this blog post.

5. Think out loud

When I feel stuck on a project, and I’m not sure what the next step is, I find it incredibly helpful to talk through the situation with a friend or colleague.

Having a conversation about what you’re trying to complete and why you feel stuck will force you to figure out the reasons why you’re not taking action and say them out loud.

It could be a lack of energy, knowledge, motivation, clarity, or something else. But once the problem has a name, it will help you strategize on how to overcome it and start taking action.