Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap

There is a Gap, between where you are and where you want to go.

This Gap is likely to be the biggest challenge you face right now.

Insurmountable obstacles barring the way, or insane deadlines that seem impossible to meet.

We call it the Knowing-Doing Gap, and it is the source of struggle, frustration and confusion – and quite often failure.

It shows up for every individual and every business whenever you set big goals – professional or personal.

Whether you are a small business owner, manager or sales consultant, your Knowing-Doing Gap will be holding you back.

It’s the Gap between ‘here’ and ‘there’; where you are now and where you hope to reach; and between what you know and what you do. 

What’s in the Gap is overwhelm, stress, anxiety, doubt and mental murmurings of your mind that are holding you back and telling you all the things you don’t need to hear right now.

Like: ‘I don’t know how,’ or ‘this can’t be done’; ‘not enough time’; ‘not enough information.’ ‘Not good enough’

This Gap is filled with doubt and self-limiting beliefs.

People usually know what there is to do, but they don’t do it. 

Because the size of the Gap and the mental noise coming out of it interferes with our thinking, undermines our confidence and makes us doubt whether this is even possible.

What seemed like a good idea, a bold goal with a desirable outcome, quickly turns into a nightmare of hesitation, procrastination and inaction. 

If this sounds familiar, know that there is a logical reason and a scientific solution.

When you decide to set targets or to go after something important, you might not know how you will get there – but you will know what there is to do first, right now. 

But most people do not do what they know how to do, or what they need to do. So they are not as productive as they could be - or getting the results that are possible

The reason is their PARADIGMS. 

They are the Mindset or mental models in the unconscious mind that hold us back. Because they do not contain the awareness of how to cross the Gap and get to the other side.

We think we would like to do a thing – or know we should – but cannot bring ourselves to actually do it, or keep going long enough.

We have free will to choose, but not, it seems, to execute.

Free will in the conscious mind is overridden by fixed beliefs in the subconscious mind. We are held back by subconscious beliefs from the past that are stronger than our present desires.

The brain sees the risk and the danger and then tends to focus on and obsess about the problem, instead of the solution.

Hesitation turns into procrastination and paralysis as you try to figure out and answer using the part of your mind that doesn’t know.

It’s your doubts and fears that stop everything.

There is a way to overcome all of this and cross the Gap.

You have to identify what the doubts are, where they are coming from, what your self-limiting beliefs are, and use reason to eliminate them.

Then, and only then, can you move forward with confidence. 

Here’s how … tell yourself you will do something that is difficult, and then ask yourself for all the reasons why you cannot or will not do it.

What do you believe about WHY YOU CAN’T achieve your goals?

What do you believe about you and why you might not be good enough or lack something you think you need to succeed?

Let your mind run free with its reasons. Write them down. Look at them. 

Replace those excuses with reasons why you CAN do it.

Crossing the Gap requires a different mindset than the one that brought you to it. 

It takes a new mental model to be over there, at the outcome you are aiming for.

Think from your reasons why you can. 

Feel inspired, like you really believe in them. 

Then immediately take action.

The answer is always taking action. Moving through fear shuts down the doubting mind because you are now focused on doing instead of thinking.

But we cannot take action without the right mindset.

When you learn how to close the Knowing-Doing Gap, you become much more productive and get better results faster.

Learn more about how to set the right goals, and how to achieve them with the free Goal-Setting Action Worksheet at …. stuartdoughty.com/goals