Do you ever find yourself searching for something you don’t need?
Just the other day, I was on a full-blown expedition for yet another web development course. I combed through search results like I was about to stumble upon the one magical course that would unlock every secret of the programming universe.
Then it hit me — I already have great courses. High-quality ones. Multiple, even. Sitting there. Untouched. So… what exactly am I doing? Why do I keep looking for more when I already have everything I need to advance?
It wasn’t just about curiosity. It wasn’t even about needing more information. It was something else — something sneakier.
The Productivity Illusion
The truth is, chasing new resources or the next best article, video, or podcast triggers a dopamine release. It provides short-term pleasure and, more dangerously, the illusion of progress. You get that hit of “I’m doing something,” without the discomfort of actually doing the thing.
This isn’t laziness — it’s a version of productive procrastination. I like this definition best:
Productive procrastination is the art of convincing yourself you’re being productive — while skillfully avoiding the actual, most important work you need to do.
It’s when your to-do list says “write client proposal,” but you spend the hour updating your task management app, responding to emails, clearing out old tabs, renaming files and folders for clarity, or tweaking the formatting on a document that’s already “good enough.” Technically, you’re working. It even feels like progress. But you’re avoiding the uncomfortable part — the friction of facing the blank page, the risk of getting it wrong, the chance you might discover you’re not as ready as you’d hoped.
As Jill put it:
Like in college when my house was immaculately clean during finals week?
Exactly. Suddenly, the junk drawer needed a full audit.
Why We Avoid What We Want Most
Here’s the strange paradox: the things we most want to do are often the things we most avoid. Not because they don’t matter, but because they do. Deeply.
We procrastinate on the important work because that’s where the stakes live. That’s where we fear being inadequate. The act of starting means confronting uncertainty, imperfection, and sometimes, failure. So instead, we orbit around it, doing little dances of productivity that keep us comfortably near, but never directly facing the work.
We prep to start.
We research to start.
We optimize our workspace to start.
And sometimes we stay there, indefinitely — in the realm of “almost.”
The Fix Isn’t More Information
There’s a time for learning, absolutely. But there’s also a time when another tutorial is just a stall tactic.
We don’t need to learn more. We need to use more of what we’ve already learned. To practice. To experiment. To get it wrong and learn the messy way — the way that actually sticks.
You know what feels better than consuming another course?
Making something.
Even if it’s clunky. Even if it doesn’t work on the first try. Especially then.
Because real momentum doesn’t come from watching someone else do it. It comes from realizing you can.
So What Do We Do About It?
This isn’t about shaming the part of you that wants to organize your desk instead of writing a difficult email. That part is doing what it knows best —> trying to protect you from discomfort. (Unless you’re killing your EQ with short-form content — in which case, shaming may be appropriate.)
But we can get better at noticing when we’re retreating into safe, adjacent tasks that feel productive but aren’t the thing.
And then, consciously, guide ourselves forward.
Start small. Ridiculously small — so small it’s hard to fail.
- Open the project file.
- Write one clear sentence.
- Sketch a rough idea.
- Add one small piece to the puzzle.
You don’t have to do the whole thing. You just have to break the seal. Because once you start, your brain shifts gears — from avoidance to engagement. You stop rehearsing the fear and begin gathering evidence that maybe it’s not so bad.
This is the quiet magic of action. It softens the noise and gives possibility a reason to show up. With action, progress doesn’t just come within reach, it starts reaching back.
You’re Broken, I Mean, Human
In a world full of distractions, pressure, and infinite options, it makes sense that we get stuck trying to optimize the perfect path forward. But no course, no system, no new planner will solve what action can.
If you recognize yourself in this pattern, you’re not broken. You’re human.
And action doesn’t have to be dramatic. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be.
The good news is, you don’t need more time. You don’t need more tools. You just need to “do the work”.
You need less hesitation, and more trust. Trust in your ability to take the next step, even if the whole path isn’t clear yet.
There’s a quiet momentum waiting to build as soon as you begin. Start before you feel ready. Start even when you’re not at your best. It doesn’t matter how clean the start is. Just start.
A Challenge, If You’re Up for It
Pick one thing you’ve been putting off — not because it’s difficult, but because it’s meaningful.
Now set a timer for six minutes. Just enough to start the engine, not cross the finish line. The goal isn’t to finish — just to trigger momentum, to get started, to crack the seal.
Then do it again tomorrow — and any time you catch yourself reaching for the safe, trivial tasks instead of the real one.
Watch how quickly your fake productivity gives way to the real thing.
Once you’re in motion, you might realize… readiness was never the requirement. Just movement. Just you, cracking the seal.