The Knowing-Doing Gap: The Invisible Barrier Between You and the Life You Want

You already know what you need to do. You’ve known for a long time. The idea has been sitting there, whispering to you in the quiet moments, tugging at you in the middle of the night, filling your mind with possibility.

You want to write that book. You’ve taken the courses, spent thousands on the program, attended the workshops, outlined chapters, scribbled notes in a journal. But when it comes to actually sitting down and writing—nothing happens. Days, months, years pass, and the book remains unwritten.

You want that promotion. You know you’re capable, you’ve put in the work, you’ve even rehearsed in your mind how you’d tell your boss why you deserve it. But when the opportunity comes up, you hesitate. Maybe next time. Maybe you’re not ready. Maybe someone else is better suited. The job goes to someone else, and you sit there wondering why you didn’t even try.

You dream of starting your own business. The vision is clear. You’ve mapped it out, the impact, the fulfillment. You truly believe that freedom comes from having your own business—being able to work from anywhere, anytime. You see people around you doing it, proving that it’s possible. You’ve built this dream in your mind, but here you are, not changing in any way. Instead, you blame your circumstances, your responsibilities, the economy—anything but the truth. The truth is, the only thing stopping you is you. Rather than looking deep within to uncover what’s really holding you back, you let the excuses pile up, and another year slips by.

This is the Knowing-Doing Gap—the space between what we know we need to do and actually doing it. Salespeople experience this every day. You know you need to make those calls, follow up on leads, ask for the sale. You’ve been trained, you understand the techniques, you’ve even seen it work. But when the time comes, you hesitate. You tell yourself you'll do it later, that you need to prepare more, that now isn't the right time. You create more lists, you develop more marketing material. You do anything but make the appointment to see the customer. Meanwhile, the opportunities slip away, and your targets remain unmet. It’s the silent thief of success, the trickster that makes us think we need just a little more preparation, a little more time, a little more confidence before we take action. But none of those things are what’s really stopping us.

Fear is!!

Not the kind of fear that makes you run from danger. The quiet, insidious kind. The fear of failure, of judgment, of stepping into the unknown. The fear that if you start and it doesn’t work out, then what? The fear that if you truly give it your all and it’s not enough, then what does that mean about you?

And behind that fear is the ego—the part of you that clings to your identity, that doubts, that convinces you it’s safer to stay exactly where you are. The ego doesn’t want to risk looking foolish. It doesn’t want to experience discomfort or vulnerability. It would rather keep you in the illusion of potential than risk the reality of trying and not succeeding. It tells you, You’re not ready. You’re not good enough. What if people judge you? What if you fail? So, you wait. And wait. And wait.

Then, the ego covers up these fears with what feels like logical and real rationalisations and excuses. It convinces you that you’re being practical, that waiting makes sense, that you’re just being responsible.? There is a sense of bravado in this. And you justify it to yourself and others so well that you almost believe it. Almost.

And it doesn’t just affect individuals. Teams and organisations fall into the same trap. They know they need to innovate, to evolve, to break out of non-productive routines. They attend leadership programs, bring in consultants, create strategies that sound incredible on paper. But when it’s time to execute? The meetings continue, the reports get written, but nothing actually changes. The knowing is there, but the doing never arrives.

So how do you bridge the gap? Not by learning more. Not by waiting for the fear to disappear. Not by hoping that someday you’ll wake up and feel, by some miracle, ready. The only way is by doing. By moving before you feel ready. By recognising that fear will always be there, but it doesn’t have to be in the driver’s seat.

And the best way to do it? Break everything down to its lowest common denominator and focus on doing the small things in big ways. Overwhelm is just an illusion created by the ego to keep you stuck. Writing a book isn’t about writing an entire manuscript—it’s about writing one sentence today. Starting a business isn’t about having every detail figured out—it’s about taking one simple step, like making a call or registering a domain name. Getting the promotion isn’t about waiting for the perfect time—it’s about having one conversation, sending one email, taking one bold step forward.

The best thing an individual or a team can do is set the right operating rhythm with the right accountability frameworks and not allow themselves off the hook. This is how we at Dreem Coaching and Consulting help leaders and their teams. We work with the Theory of Change framework to set strategies, then map out tactical priorities that align with the goals. We identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), pinpoint the gaps, resources needed, identify the lowest hanging fruit and feasibility, break down the next 12 months into quarters, and help develop accountability tools for engagement. We celebrate the grind, create consistency, and rinse and repeat—because success is not about one big leap but about consistent, disciplined execution over time.

We also work on mindset, understanding behavioural preferences and communication in a way that engages each and every person in the room. But you have to be ready. You have to want to do this. No one can push you past the Knowing-Doing Gap except you.

Write the first page of the book today. Apply for the job before you talk yourself out of it. Make the first call to start your business before you convince yourself to wait another year. If you're a leader, set the vision, communicate it clearly, and take decisive action—don’t wait for perfection. If you're part of a team, step up, take ownership, and contribute proactively rather than waiting for direction. Build the culture of execution, not hesitation.

There will never be a perfect moment. The moment is now. The only question is—will you do it?

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If you would like to find out more about how we can help you or your team, please email us at [email protected] or private message me.

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