Knowing what to do means nothing unless you actually do it.
Most of us know this.
So then why do we so often know what to do (or what we should do), but rarely, if ever, come to do it? What on Earth is going on here? And how do we overcome this predicament?
Over the past few years, I've come to learn that the problem of inaction rarely lies in the facts themselves, but rather in the space the facts occupy. For the purpose of this article, let's call that space the glue that holds the facts together.
The problem is in the glue...
Facts are black and white, and they rarely have the power to get us to take action. Only when they are so startling, so alarming, do we take notice and act on those facts. Otherwise they're purely logical, while we are emotional creatures.
That doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't use facts, but just that facts alone won't motivate us to act like emotions will.
We need emotion to take action.
That's why the most perfect workout and nutrition plan laid out in front of you, which is guaranteed to work, stands no chance in getting you to take action if you don't deal with the emotional gook that's holding you back. The glue, that is.
It's the same with everything else out there. You know damn well what to do or what you could do to get started. You may not always be 100% certain all the time, but if someone had a gun to your head and the only way to escape was to take action on something you've been putting off, you sure as heck could think of something.
So you see, it's not the facts that hold us back. It's not about knowing what to do.
Attributing your inaction due to not knowing what to do is just plain wrong. Think about it - if you didn't know what to do, then the only logical thing to do would be to figure out what to do. But you don't even do that! So you can't use the excuse of "I don't know what to do."
...and the solution is in you
I want us to recognize that what's holding us back is not a lack of facts, but rather the space where those facts reside. It's all that grey matter, the baggage, the emotions, that live inside our heart and our head.
I'm encouraging us to stop fooling ourselves into thinking we're failing or we're no good because we don't know what to do.
If we stop this nonsense, we can then be true with ourselves and say:
You know what - I do know what to do. I do know the facts. I do know the truth. I'm just blocked by my emotions, and other mysterious forces inside of me.
Acknowledging and accepting this will allow for a greater force to sweep through us. Now that we're no longer exerting energy trying to figure out what do do, where to start, how to start, etc., we can relax, take a breath, and take the first step.
Who knows - maybe we come to find there's really nothing to do. Or maybe that thing we knew, suddenly becomes easier to do.
So let's stop kidding, and blaming ourselves, for not knowing what to do. Let's be real and acknowledge there's other forces inside that are making it hard for us to do what we know we need to do.
Let's witness those forces and befriend them. The facts aren't the issue, nor are they the solution.
The solution is in you. The solution is you.
Live with substance!
Gabe Orlowitz
