What's keeping you from building?

Even as a decades-long GTD practitioner skilled in identifying next actionable steps, I still battle the same productivity demons that sometimes cause us all to stumble. Even being a die-hard Holacracy tension processor, forever committed to finding workable (not perfect) ways forward, does not provide immunity. We are all suseptable to these universal challenges, they can creep up on even the most seasoned creators.

Good habits, practices, and even good memes can help. I'm grateful to my good friend and colleague Vlad Shumov , who shared the Make Stuff meme as a nudge to keep me building. I'm also thankful for my many friends and colleagues who remind me everyday to take risks, create, and share my work with the world.

Seeing the Traps That Keep Us Stuck Is the Easy Part

• Imposter syndrome: Who am I to do this?
• Fear of failure: What if it's not good enough?
• Chasing perfection: Instead of aiming for "good enough to ship."
• Procrastination: I'll start tomorrow (or maybe next week).
• Underestimating small steps: Forgetting that incremental progress adds up over time.
• Fear of criticism: Worrying about what others might think.
• Overthinking: Getting stuck in analysis paralysis instead of taking action.

Getting out of these traps is the hard part. The only remedy I've found is: practice, practice, practice. Find a practice, a tribe, or a ritual that you can return to over and over again.