Feeling Stuck? Here’s Why Doing One Thing Now Changes Everything
Read time: 5 minutes
Welcome to My Musings
Where I share insights that have impacted me, thoughts on personal growth, and actionable strategies to help you navigate career and life transitions.
Today: Even the smallest step is still movement.
Today, I sat down to write another newsletter. It’s been just over a month since my last (it is summer, after all), and a few recent conversations had me thinking about what I wanted to say.
And then Oliver Burkeman’s most recent newsletter landed in my inbox. I read it and thought: Nope. I’m writing about this instead.
First — if you don’t know Oliver, do yourself a favour: read the piece here and sign up for his updates. His work has been a source of real insight for me, both personally and professionally, over the years.
Second — his note made me realize it would be more honest, and more useful, to write about what’s actually happening right now.
Like Burkeman, my output has slowed lately. Yes, it’s summer. But also: I’m distracted. And worried. I don’t do well when things have been going smoothly and then suddenly slow down. Especially in business (this was true when I practiced law, too). I simply don’t cope that well when there is less to do and the world is telling me, “Jordan - it’s OK, you can slow down for a bit and not try so hard.”
Of course, there’s a lesson in learning to “ride the wave” of entrepreneurship and client services. I know this. I just haven’t fully absorbed it yet.
What I noticed instead was this: I had a long list of things to do - ideas to execute, plans to make, people to reach out to - and none of it was happening as quickly as I wanted.
Why?
Because I was adding more to the list than I was crossing off.
And because I was avoiding the things I could do right now.
That’s Burkeman’s point: there’s power in immediacy. When something can be done now, delaying it only increases the cost - the weight of procrastination, the stress of an unfinished task.
That doesn’t mean we should abandon long-term thinking. But it does invite a useful question: “If I know this matters, what’s really stopping me from doing it right now?”
A personal example: I often say to my wife, “I should call so-and-so, it’s been too long.” And she always replies: “So call them right now. Don’t wait another second.”
When I follow her advice, I’m happier. Yet there’s always a voice in my head that says, “Later. You have more important things to do. More plans to make.”
But plans are just that - plans. They are not the actual doing of life.
I see the same pattern with my clients. People and teams are often so busy doing that they lose sight of why. They rarely pause long enough to sit in stillness, discomfort, or even boredom, to reorient themselves toward what really matters.
Now, I hear you may be thinking: “Wait. Didn’t you just say something about doing less? Now you’re saying to do more?”
I want to be clear - this isn’t about over-doing. It’s about doing wisely. In many cases, that means to do now. As David Whyte says (and I quote him often): “Take the close-in step — the step you don’t want to take.”
That’s what I did here. Instead of drafting the “interesting” newsletter I had planned, I wrote honestly about the frustration - and, yes, fear - that comes up when things slow down at the end of summer. The very thing I didn’t want to write about.
Like all things, this season will pass.
But here’s the question for you: what’s the one thing you’ve been putting off?
Call the person you’ve been meaning to call.
Send the note you’ve been drafting in your head.
Cross off one item on the list that’s been nagging you.
Do it now. Not later, not when things are “less busy.” You might be surprised at how much lighter you feel.
The Right Time
If you’ve been circling around the same tasks, waiting for the “right time” - I help people and teams cut through delay and move into action with clarity and confidence.
If you’re ready to explore what that step could be, get in touch or book a call below.
And, if you’re not ready to talk but want to keep reflecting, join my newsletter. It’s where I share more stories, tools, and insights to help you act wisely - and find momentum where you are.
