Google.
“Why is my life not improving?”
I researched countless productivity hacks. Books, articles, guides, apps, you name it. I tried them all. I bought planners: daily and weekly, large and small, decorative and plain. I even wrote in those – “why isn’t anything working?” Before long, I felt like a shadow shaking my fists at the unforgiving and uncaring clouds, cursing the world for holding me back.
I was constantly waiting for everything. I’d wait for the perfect fitness routine and a playlist to match. I’d wait for the perfect moment to learn a new skill, too. It always seemed better to wait until my calendar cleared. At least, that’s what I thought.
Looking back now, and even writing this, I feel like a bit of an idiot. In this day and age, answers are so readily available. I often think about people having conversations just 30 years ago – answers lay in archives, not just a few clicks away. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, it can feel easier to ask Google or ChatGPT than find out the answers myself. There’s a hack for everything, right?
I couldn’t be more wrong.
The more I complained, searched for answers and realised nothing was changing, it soon became apparent that there was only one solution: to take action. Who would’ve thought?
Waiting for the ‘perfect plan’ is just a clever form of perfectionism. Real progress happens when you act, no matter how imperfect it is.
It’s clear to me now, but when you’re stuck in the continual ‘waiting period’, as I now refer to it, you are at the mercy of your own mind and the potential to overthink.
Why Overthinking Feels Smart but Keeps You Stuck
Even if you’re not an overthinker, I challenge you to think about a time you did overthink, or of someone else you know who struggles with it. Let’s take the aforementioned example of choosing the perfect routine before exercising. I would have all the energy I could ask for, get to the gym, only to sit in the changing room for far too long, repeatedly going over my routine, making sure I covered everything sufficiently. After all, if I don’t, surely I’ll start to lose muscle mass and strength, right? In my eyes, it had to be perfect. But, once I eventually settled on a plan, not only had I been sat there for far too long, but the equipment I wanted to use was unavailable. Plan scuppered, back to the drawing board.
The thing is, the overanalysing felt productive. It tricked me into believing I was being strategic, when I was merely delaying the discomfort of starting.
Overthinking is sneaky. It makes you feel smart, when in reality, it creates an illusion of control – as if you’re taking the time to explore all the possibilities before you. While this may make you feel thorough and like you’re an active problem solver, the more thinking and analysing you do, the further you’re delaying any action. It can diminish your cognitive resources, inducing fatigue. Then there’s the over analysis of any resulting outcome and the fear of failure that comes with that. And, of course, the seemingly endless analysis of your available options can lead to ‘analysis paralysis’, where you become overwhelmed and unable to take action.
This is not to say planning and strategising isn’t effective. For something such as exercise, it is incredibly useful to have an idea of what you’re doing before you start. It becomes a problem when you begin to find yourself drowning in indecision. Action, no matter how imperfect, is a life raft in open waters.
In this instance, there are many great apps that can plan your workouts for you. Even a free Google search will give you thousands of suggestions. Even if it’s not perfect, affording yourself some assistance helps lead you away from the idea that not only must everything be perfect, but you must be solely responsible too. In this day and age, there are plenty of tools and services to help you, all of which mean you are taking action, no matter how imperfect.
The Shift: Action at 60% Readiness
The ancient Greek word Kairos describes exactly the right moment to do something. It’s the realisation that it’s time to leave a dinner or the quick decision to go for a gap while driving. Essentially, it’s time to be brave. You exhibit Kairos every day, probably without realising.
Looking back, even in my moments of indecision, I was still able to employ Kairos. With the decisions I mentioned, I didn’t need to think.
Those sorts of things are instinctual – you don’t need to wait for the perfect plan or moment. You seize it when it comes to you.
This is why, I believe, waiting for readiness is futile. The human experience demands trial and error. When looking back at big life changes – leaving home to start university or moving to a different city, I wasn’t completely prepared. I don’t think I ever would’ve been. If anything, the more I waited/was forced to wait to take those actions, the more indecision and overthinking crept into my head.
Don’t mistake Kairos with perfection, however. Just because it is the right moment to do something, that does not mean it’s perfect. Instead of waiting for that glittering moment, start taking action at 60% readiness and adjusting later. Put it this way, when you’re applying for a job, you may consider yourself the perfect candidate, but when you’re hired, are you the perfect employee? Maybe in attitude, but no. It takes time to be completely ready for something, and if you spend time waiting for you to reach that level before you do anything, well, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life.
The action doesn’t need to be significant, either. Small, imperfect steps build momentum – far more valuable than a flawless plan that stays on paper. In our previous example of exercise, chose one thing and go for it. Start your run. Pick up a dumbbell. Get squatting. Figure out what works for you and build from there. The same applies to anything else – start somewhere and find your way.
Momentum > Master Plan
Motion creates clarity. In my experience, the surprising joy of something you didn’t meticulously plan or wait to be ready for resonates in my mind and body. For example, I intended to start running more this year, with an idea to prepare myself completely for a half marathon in a years’ time. I better wait until I can afford elite running shoes, I thought. The spiral had begun. Maybe I should buy all the best gear. So, I saved money, researched countless trainers, all without doing any actual running. Then, one gloriously sunny day, I was walking home from work. I usually get the bus, but given the weather, I decided to walk. I then realised just how hungry I was. So, with a very full backpack on and trainers not meant for running, I ran home. It was only just over 1 mile, and I was sweating buckets by the time I got home, but I was exhilarated. I started running on a whim, and once that obstacle had fallen away in my mind, everything else fell into place. It was that easy.
Progress reveals what actually works. Sitting on the sidelines planning for every possible scenario does not. Put it this way, your brain will not remember the dozens of avenues it took when attempting to perfectly prepare for something new, but it and your body most certainly will remember how it made you feel.
So, before this article wraps up, I’d like you to ask yourself,
“What’s one thing I could start today at 60% readiness?“
Be real with yourself here. Grab a pen and paper and start writing down your goals. Note them all – big and small. Pick them apart and highlight where you can start. Put it this way – I didn’t need perfect running trainers to start running, and while some things require more than 60% readiness, anything you start for the first time won’t be perfect, but it will be real. And real beats perfect every single time.
