If knowledge changed lives, we would all have six-packs and a sports car. We live in the most informed era in human history. So it is not knowledge that is holding you back.
We all know broccoli is good for us, but we eat hot dogs. We know we need to be saving for retirement, but do we? We all know it is easier now than at any time in history to start a solo digital business, but we keep scrolling TikTok. It is not a knowledge gap; it is an execution gap.
Clarity comes from doing, not thinking.
The Problem
We all have that mate who swears they invented Post-it Notes. Another who insists they pitched the Uber idea in a pub in 2009. Another who started a podcast, recorded one intro, and never produced an episode (checks self here). Ideas are free. Action is not.
We behave like we need permission. I am 57 — not sure who the hell I am waiting for permission from. There will be no perfect time to act. The time to act is now.
“But somebody else is already doing it” (Faark, I’m too late)
This is actually a sign that you are on to a good thing. Ever noticed how pizza franchises cluster? If Domino’s is scouting a new store, they go where people are already buying pizza. A competitor’s shop is proof of demand. The same applies to your niche. Someone else shipping, writing, selling in your lane is not a reason to stop; it is validation that a market exists.
Ideas are free. Action is not.
The Solution
Set yourself up so execution is the default.
Define the smallest shippable version of your thing.
Put a short deadline on it: two weeks, not two months.
Put it on the calendar. Calendars beat to-do lists.
Make the first two minutes frictionless. Have the doc open, the template ready, your training gear packed the night before.
Is any of this glamorous? No. Does it work? Yes.
Why we struggle with what is good for us
It is not a moral failure. It is biology and bad design.
Your brain hunts for immediate rewards, which is why biscuits beat broccoli at 9 p.m.
Ambiguity stalls action. A task that says “work on business” never starts.
Identity gets wobbly when you go from senior manager to beginner again.
Your phone is a casino in your pocket. The house always wins if you play on their terms.
So flip the defaults.
Make the good thing pay you quickly with a tick, a publish, a reply from a human.
Swap vague for concrete. “Draft 200 words on Tuesday at 7:30” beats “write”.
Design your environment so it nudges you forward, not sideways.
Try this
Write one sentence that defines your 90-day outcome.
Define a two-week test you can actually ship.
Put three work sessions in your calendar now. Location, time, task.
Decide your two-minute start. Make it so easy it feels silly.
Put your phone in another room. Use airplane mode during work sprints.
Why Gen X needs to move now
We were the so-called slackers. Mixtapes, dial-up, Nirvana, a healthy scepticism for hype. Useful antennae in a noisy world. But the market does not care about your nostalgia.
Ageing out of certain roles is real, especially in tech and media. Longer lives mean longer careers, which means your going to need multiple income streams. As you get older it's not just income you'll need. Purpose and peers will keep your brain young. So act now.
Try this
Pick one revenue experiment you can launch in two weeks: a paid workshop, a micro-offer, a newsletter with a sponsor.
Line up two conversations with peers who are already shipping. Borrow momentum.
Wrap-up
Knowledge is cheap. Execution is the tax you pay to turn ideas into outcomes. Choose one outcome. Make the smallest test. Put it on the calendar. Ship weekly. Review and repeat. Boring works.
Do not wait to feel motivated. Move, and motivation will chase you.
Try this
Hit reply and tell me your 90-day outcome and your two-week test. If a friend needs this, forward it.