Action Creates Energy
There’s a lie we quietly believe when we’re trying to grow, change or begin something new: we tell ourselves to stop waiting to feel ready — but then we do exactly that.
“I’ll start when I feel ready.”
“I’ll do it when I feel motivated.”
“I just need more confidence first.”
And so we wait.
We wait to feel clear.
We wait to feel brave.
We wait to feel inspired.
Meanwhile, life keeps moving.
Here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear:
You don’t get energy before action.
You get energy from action.
Motivation is not the starting point. It’s the by-product.
If this resonates, you might also enjoy this article on getting started when you don’t feel like it, or this one on why consistency beats motivation every time.
Stop Waiting to Feel Ready: The Myth of Readiness
We imagine that “ready” feels like certainty.
Calm.
Confidence.
A surge of clarity.
In reality?
Ready usually feels like:
- Mild nausea
- Doubt
- Resistance
- Procrastination disguised as “planning”
If you’re waiting for the absence of fear, you’ll be waiting a very long time.
The women I coach often tell me, “I just don’t feel ready to leave.”
Or, “I don’t feel ready to have that conversation.”
Or, “I don’t feel ready to start something new.”
And I always gently ask:
What if readiness isn’t a feeling — but a decision?
Action Creates Momentum
Think about the last time you didn’t feel like doing something — walking, studying, cleaning, writing — but you did it anyway.
What happened five minutes in?
Energy shifted.
Because action creates motion.
Motion creates momentum.
Momentum creates belief.
And belief fuels more action.
That’s the cycle.
Not the other way around.
Waiting drains you.
Acting energises you.
The Neuroscience Behind It (Why This Actually Works)
There’s a biological reason this works — and it’s not just positive thinking.
Your brain runs on reward chemistry.
When you begin a task — even a very small one — your brain releases dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in motivation, goal pursuit and reinforcement. It’s part of your brain’s reward system.
And here’s the part most people misunderstand:
Dopamine doesn’t only appear after you complete something big.
It begins releasing when you start moving toward a goal.
So when you:
- Write for five minutes
- Walk around the block
- Open the document
- Send one uncomfortable email
Your brain registers progress.
Progress reduces perceived threat.
Reduced threat lowers resistance.
Lower resistance makes continuing easier.
Starting makes the task feel safer.
Feeling safer makes you want to keep going.
That’s why the “just five minutes” rule works so well.
You’re not tricking yourself.
You’re working with your biology instead of fighting it.
If you’re interested in the research behind dopamine and motivation, this overview from Harvard Health explains how dopamine drives reward and goal-directed behaviour:
How to Stop Waiting to Feel Ready: The Energy Equation
If you want to stop waiting to feel ready, you need to understand this simple formula:
Clarity comes from movement.
Confidence comes from repetition.
Motivation comes from progress.
You do not think your way into energy.
You move your way into energy.
This is why tiny actions matter more than grand plans.
Send the email.
Open the document.
Walk around the block.
Make the appointment.
Have the first three sentences of the hard conversation.
Don’t overhaul your life.
Just move it forward one inch.
Why We Stall
Let’s be honest. We don’t wait because we’re lazy.
We wait because:
- We’re afraid of failing.
- We’re afraid of succeeding.
- We’re afraid of being seen.
- We’re afraid of disrupting the current balance.
So we tell ourselves we’re “not ready.”
But staying stuck has a cost too.
Energy leaks when we live in avoidance.
Avoidance feels safe in the moment — but it compounds quietly.
You feel heavy not because you’re incapable —
but because you’re carrying unacted decisions.
Your environment may also be contributing to why you’re stalling. Here is a recent post about how your environment matters more than motivation.
A Different Way to Think About It
Instead of asking:
“Do I feel ready?”
Try asking:
“What’s the smallest action I can take right now?”
Not tomorrow.
Not when you’re more confident.
Now.
Action is the antidote to rumination.
And here’s the surprising part:
You don’t need huge courage.
You just need enough willingness to take one small step.
That’s it.
A Simple Practice
Today, choose one thing you’ve been postponing.
Not the biggest thing.
Not the scariest thing.
Just something slightly uncomfortable.
Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Start.
Stop when the timer ends.
Notice what shifts.
Most of the time, the hardest part was beginning.
Final Thought
Energy does not arrive as a gift.
It is generated.
You are not waiting for motivation.
You are waiting for yourself to move.
And once you do?
You’ll wonder why you waited.
If this resonates, share it with someone who’s been waiting for the “right time.”
Because the right time rarely announces itself.
It responds to action.
A Simple Challenge
Before you close this page, choose one small thing you’ve been postponing — and take five minutes to begin.
Not perfectly.
Not confidently.
Just begin.
Energy follows movement.
If you’d like support building momentum in a way that feels steady and sustainable, you’re welcome to explore my coaching here.
Sometimes the smallest action changes the trajectory more than the biggest plan.
