Do you just seem busy or are you actually making progress?

I’m guilty...

of looking busy,

of working extra hours, 

of extensive planning and learning,

without making any tangible progress.

It's me in motion. 

When you’re in motion, you’re strategizing, learning, planning, and handling edge cases. All of these things are important, but they don’t produce results. 

So, what should we be doing instead? Action. 

Action is the kind of behavior that delivers results. 

For example:

• If I call 50 clients for business and start conversations with them, that’s motion. If I convince them to buy and turn them into my customers, that’s action.
• If I create a list of 10 content ideas to write, that’s motion. If I write and publish one, that’s action. 
• If I plan out my training routine for the gym, that’s motion. If I go to the gym and workout, that’s action.

Don’t get me wrong. Motion isn’t always bad. A lot of times, motion is the prerequisite for action, but remember that motion will never produce an outcome by itself. Only the act of “action” will produce results. Many smart people fall into the trap of spending too much time on motion versus action.

Why do we find ourselves in motion?

I have discovered that the reason we find ourselves in the state of motion connects to the pleasure and pain signals in our brain. When we are in the state of motion, we are learning, thinking, and, metaphorically speaking, preparing for battle. Being in motion gives us a false sense that we are progressing in the right direction. It is the absence of real pain.

But going into battle - oh, now that is a tough one. Calling customers and convincing them to pay. Writing and publishing an article every single week. Optimizing and running your marketing campaign to achieve revenue. Going to the gym and putting those reps in daily.

Now, this is real pain.

Here is another explanation: the fear of criticism and failure.

Imagine this scenario: You aspire to get in shape, but the mere thought of stepping into a gym leaves you feeling vulnerable and self-conscious. Instead of acting, you inquire about the trainer's rates, make fitness schedules, and read healthy recipes.

This is just one example of how we often favor motion over action, allowing us to delay the possibility of failure.

This tendency to stay in motion is deeply rooted in our fear of criticism and failure. Nobody enjoys falling short or being judged publicly, so we instinctively gravitate towards activities that shield us from these discomforts. We rationalize our actions, thinking we are making progress, when in reality, we are merely preparing to make progress. We're just postponing the inevitable action that will bring us closer to our goals.

Why does this matter?

The problem arises when preparation transforms into procrastination, and we find ourselves trapped in a perpetual planning cycle. We don't want to be stuck in the perpetual "getting ready" phase; we want to be actively practicing and making tangible strides toward our aspirations.

How can we optimize our lives for action?

Here’s a strategy that has worked for me. It’s built on three core principles:

1. KPIs with a Path

Start with cold numbers. Numbers do not lie. 

Say you want to increase the revenue of your company. Your goal is $20,000 in monthly recurring revenue at the end of 5 months. Assuming, you sell your service for $2,000 a month, you need ten paying customers - two new clients every month for the next five months.

Defining KPIs and a path toward success will keep you focused on your direction. 

The next thing is to build a schedule around your North Star metrics.

2. Schedule + Deadline

Once your KPIs are in place, the next step is to build a schedule and include actions. For example, every two weeks, I will close one paying client to be on track to achieving my goals. 

In my real life, I write and publish an article every Wednesday after work. 

Each Saturday, I repurpose the article into a YouTube video for hundreds of viewers. For the gym, I go on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

I’m not planning sessions or researching programs. I am simply acting and doing stuff that matters. 

Some tasks are time-bound. For example, my gym goal is to reduce just 1 KG of fat from my body every two weeks. It might sound like a small goal, but that’s fine. No matter what happens, I need to lose this weight until I hit my target weight of 85 KG (just 3 kg more than my starting weight of 92 kg). 

3. Accountability

Once you’re in action mode, it can be easy to get carried away. You need course correction, and this is where accountability keeps you focused and on the right path. For example, every Sunday, I write a Weekly Snapshot that includes my thoughts on the week, wins, learnings, challenges, next steps, etc. 

It is my way of reflecting on the week and ensuring I’m on the right track. If not, I become aware of the shortcomings and get on the right path. 

Without accountability, we’re just lost sailors in the sea. 

Action > Motion

In the journey to achieve our goals, we often get stuck in the planning and learning phase, which feels like progress but doesn't yield real results. Instead, we need to focus on taking action.

Here's a simple strategy:

1. Define clear goals and steps (KPIs) to reach them.
2. Create a schedule with deadlines for these actions.
3. Stay accountable by regularly checking your progress.

Remember: Actions produce results. Motion does not.