I’ve become a massive believer in taking action. Especially when you’re stuck. Especially when you feel lost.
We’ve all been there. Staring at a bug that won’t budge, a decision we don’t want to make, or just an endless pile of tasks that feels impossible to face. Sometimes everything feels like too much. Other times nothing feels meaningful at all. And often, it’s both.
In those ruts, even the smallest step feels like climbing Everest. You sit there frozen, convincing yourself that maybe, with time, things will get better on their own. But they don’t. And the longer you sit, the worse it feels.
Here’s the truth: experience doesn’t make these moments go away. I don’t have a magic fix. What experience does give you is perspective. You learn that these aren’t apocalyptic failures, just obstacles on the course. Some will teach you something, others you just need to climb over.
What I’ve learned is this: sitting still never helps me. The longer I stew on a problem, the darker the spiral gets. The pile grows, the dread grows, and I sink deeper. If staying still makes it worse, then the only option is movement. Action.
That doesn’t mean bulldozing blindly. It means being brutally honest with yourself about why you’re stuck. Maybe it’s a hard conversation you don’t want to have. Maybe it’s admitting a mistake. Maybe it’s laziness disguised as “waiting for the right time.” Whatever it is, there’s always a reasonm and once you name it, there’s always a next step.
Ask for help. Own the mistake. Do the one small task you’ve been putting off. It doesn’t have to be huge, just enough to break the inertia. Because the first action is always the hardest. But once you take it, momentum builds. That tiny spark can set the whole thing in motion.
There’s a caveat here, though. Sometimes the right action is actually stopping. Closing the laptop. Going for a walk. Sleeping it off. Burnout is real, and pushing through it blindly can make things worse. The key is honesty. Don’t dress it up for your coworkers, your boss, or your family. You can fake it to everyone else, but you can’t fake it to yourself.
Look in the mirror. Cut the excuses. Cut the lies. Take the action you know you need to take—whether it’s pushing through or stepping back. Just act.