Make decisive action your antidote to paralysis

You’re standing on the brink of a tough call—the one you’ve rehearsed in your mind for weeks: ‘I need to talk.’ Your heart races like a subway train pulling into the station. Another second and you’ll stay frozen forever. Sound familiar? Consider the story of Finis, who lost months in paperwork and court orders while staring at his fields stormed by bulldozers. Torn between his past and an uncertain future, he finally snatched his rifle and with a single shot cleared the path forward. No seminars. No committees. He just acted. Behavioral science calls this ‘implementation intent’: pre-specifying a moment when you’ll commit to action reduces hesitation. When you say, “If X happens, I will do Y,” you bridge the gap between intention and behavior. Finis’s shot was his ‘if X happens, I will do Y’—a decisive act that shifted his entire landscape. You don’t need a rifle—just a firm start to break paralysis.

The next moment you feel stuck, pick the single task you’re avoiding—maybe an overdue email or a fix-it job—set a timer for five minutes, and dive in. Notice the relief when you simply begin. This small, deliberate act triggers momentum so you can keep going. Give it a shot before your next coffee break.