I was speaking with a client recently — let’s call him Alex, a well-established entrepreneur who is doing more than well for himself. But, deep down (like most of us!) he knows that he isn’t giving it his all, not in business, not in his health and not in life.

Alex feels caught in a cycle, repeating the same actions and following the crowd, feeling less and less fulfilled with every loop round around the metaphorical block. On a deeper level, he knows he needs (and wants) to challenge himself, to take the next step in his business, to push himself physically and to start living his life on his own terms.

Even — and perhaps especially — if that means going against the grain, stepping out of the shadow of conventional success, and taking action towards what he knows will move the needle in his life.

So, he knows what he wants, how to get started, and — for the most part — what he needs to do to actualise his desires. Yet, this is where the crux of Alex’s dilemma lies, and also a challenge that many of us face — something that I like to call “the knowing-doing gap”.

If you get radically honest with yourself, you probably know what you want (or must do!) too. And what’s more, is that you also know how you start working towards it.

But many of us are unwilling to confront the reality of the sacrifice, risk, struggle or embarrassment that it takes to have what we truly want. Some prefer the illusion of safety over the discomfort of growth. And others prefer to (un)consciously) believe that they’re entitled to getting things the easy way, with privileges, quick wins and shortcuts.

It doesn’t matter which side you’re on — the fact is that it’s one thing to know what you want, but it’s something completely different to stand in the raw vulnerability of acknowledging the work, the struggle, and the sacrifices needed to make those dreams a reality.

So, we distract ourselves with activities that mimic progress.

Like Alex, opting for passive activities, like reading more books, listening to podcasts or signing up for coaching without really changing anything fundamentally about his daily actions. Others play the victim card, surrendering their agency to the endless scroll of social media or any other form of escapism, hoping their dreams will arrive on our doorstep with no sweat off their backs.

Either way, these can feel like steps forward — but at their core, they are procrastination.

Which to me, is the act of delaying or postponing tasks despite knowing the negative consequences of doing so. But — something that a lot of people overlook — is that it also serves as a protective mechanism that attempts to shield us from the discomfort associated with the task at hand.

It’s an unconscious bias to inaction that attempts (and succeeds in!) to keep so many in their comfort zone. Where everything’s safe, easy, predictable and familiar.

But the thing is, when we wish for things to be easy, we’re often wishing away the very experiences that allow us to grow into the people we’re capable of becoming.

This desire for ease, for a journey without bumps, is as human as it gets — to seek comfort and avoid pain. However, this very desire can become our biggest hurdle. It’s what fuels the knowing-doing gap, creating a chasm between our aspirations and our actions.

Because knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. The real magic happens when you turn your knowledge into aligned, consistent and progressive action. That’s how you pave the path towards becoming the embodied (wo)man you’re capable of becoming.

And when you — deep down — know what to do, but don’t act on it, you start to chip away at something far more important than your goals- the trust you have in yourself.

It’s a vicious cycle.

The more you let yourself down by not pursuing what you know you should, the weaker your self-trust becomes. And as this trust fades away, so does your ability to commit and follow through — which is where the loop of self-sabotage begins, spinning its wheels with every opportunity we let slip through our fingers because we’re too comfortable, too afraid or too stuck in our own narrative of “it’s not possible for me”.

It’s why we procrastinate, why we choose the familiarity of the known over the uncertainty of the unknown, and why, like Alex, we find ourselves running circles around the metaphorical block, dreaming of a different life but being unwilling or unable to take the steps necessary to achieve it.

So, I challenge you, to confront your knowing-doing gap head-on.

Ask yourself:

• What is it that I know I must do but won’t or can’t?
• What is this procrastination protecting me from? Is it fear of failure, fear of success, or perhaps the discomfort of stepping out of my comfort zone?
• What is it I need to accept about myself, my circumstances, or the journey ahead before I can truly step into the arena?

These are not easy questions, nor should they be. They’re designed to provoke thought, to encourage you to look deep, and to challenge the status quo of your current existence. And as you ponder these questions, I leave you with one final thought:

Would you be content with the person you become if you continue to procrastinate? If you allow the gap between your dreams and your actions to widen further with each passing day?

Remember, the choice is yours.