Three Misunderstandings That Are Stopping You from Taking Action (and Two Solutions)

Have you ever had a deep intuitive nudge to do something? Something that feels right, exciting, and aligned, but then you do not do it?

Instead, you hesitate. You procrastinate. You tell yourself, “I’ll do it later,” but later never comes.

Why?

I have been talking about this a lot recently, and here is what I have seen. There are three big misunderstandings that keep us stuck, stopping us from taking the action we deeply want to take.

Let’s break them down.

1. You Think the Discomfort Means “Don’t Do It”

We all experience intuitive nudges, that pull towards something that feels right, aligned, and expansive.

It might be an idea for your business, a step towards better health, or a conversation you need to have. You feel it in your body as a sense of yes, this is the thing.

But what happens next?

The moment we move towards growth, that predictable inner critic kicks in with its usual nonsense.

• “You can’t do that.”

• “You’ll look ridiculous.”

• “It’s not important enough.”

• “You should be doing something else instead.”

Suddenly, the good feeling disappears, replaced by tension, stress, and doubt.

This is where we make the first big mistake.

• We believe the discomfort means something is wrong.

• We believe that the danger is in the action we are about to take.

• We believe that we can only find relief if we avoid.

None of that is true. The discomfort is not coming from the action itself. It is coming from the inner critic reacting to your growth.

And if you let that feeling stop you, you stay stuck.

2. You Mistake Procrastination for Relief

Here is what happens next.

You feel the inner critic’s discomfort and think, “I don’t like this feeling. I need to fix it.”

So, what do you do?

You distract yourself. You procrastinate. You do busy nothingness like answering emails, scrolling social media, tidying your desk, or making another cup of tea.

For a moment, it feels better. But then?

You look at the thing you really wanted to do and think, “Another day has passed, and I still haven’t done it.”

And now? You feel even worse.

This is where the spiral begins.

• You ignore the thing you really want to do.

• You distract yourself with other tasks.

• You feel bad for not taking action.

• That bad feeling makes you even less likely to take action.

It is a cycle. And the only way to break it is not with willpower, but with compassion and presence, the two circuit breakers I will share at the end of this writing.

3. You Believe Feelings Come from “Out There”

Here is the biggest misunderstanding of all.

We believe that feelings come from things outside of us.

We think:

• “This project is making me anxious.”

• “This decision is stressing me out.”

• “This conversation is making me nervous.”

And because we believe the thing is causing the feeling, we try to avoid it.

But here is the truth.

The thing is not creating the feeling.

Your inner critic is creating the feeling.

You are not even doing the thing yet. You are just thinking about it.

Once you see that, everything changes.

The Two Circuit Breakers: How to Get Unstuck

So, how do you break the cycle?

Not with force. Not with more pressure. Not by “trying harder.”

There are two powerful circuit breakers that help you stop overthinking and start taking action.

Circuit Breaker 1: Self-Compassion

If you can be kind to yourself when you hesitate, if you can see that you were simply confused in the moment, if you can let go of beating yourself up for not taking action, you create space for inspiration to return.

You feel lighter.

And suddenly, taking action feels easier.

Because here is the thing.

You were never the problem.

The feelings were never coming from the action.

And you are always just one gentle step away from moving forward.

Circuit Breaker 2: Sit with Your Emotions and Become Present

Instead of running from the discomfort, what if you just sat with it?

Try this:

1. Pause for a moment.

2. Notice what is happening in your body. Is there tension? A tight chest? Angry butterflies?

3. Let it be there. No fixing. No analysing. Just noticing.

Something amazing happens when we do this.

The emotions settle.

The urgency disappears.

And suddenly, the thing we were resisting does not feel as overwhelming anymore.

When we sit with emotions instead of running from them, we realise they are not as powerful as they seemed.

And in that space, action becomes possible again.

Final Thoughts

If you are feeling stuck today, remember these three things.

• The discomfort is not coming from the action. It is just the inner critic reacting to growth.

• Procrastination feels like relief but actually makes things worse.

• Feelings do not come from things outside of you. When you see that, you are free to act.

And most of all, be kind to yourself and sit with what you feel.

These two circuit breakers, self-compassion and presence, are what allow you to break the spiral and start taking action again.

So today, do one small thing that your inner critic says you cannot do.

Ignore the discomfort, even just for a moment, and see what happens.

Want More? Let’s Connect.

This is the work I do every day, helping people move past self-doubt, stop overthinking, and take action towards what they truly want.

If this resonated, I would love to hear from you. Drop a comment, send me a message, or check out more of my content.

You have got this.