You've Got Paralysis-(1 of 8)

Recently, I was telling a young man I met in Uber that I had written dozens of books with the aid of AI ?and had not published many of them.? ?

"Well, why haven't you published and made money from them,”? the young man asked.

“I’ve just been creating them,” I responded.

The young man, who happened to be 27 years old at the time, and had just served 7 years in the military responded, “You got paralysis!"

For the first second or two after I heard his response I was stunned. “How could he be so rude?”? I was over 60 years old and the young man had already told me his age.

I thought for a second and said to myself, “That interesting and powerful.? He’s right.? How does he know?”

If you are someone who leaves projects incomplete, you quit in the middle of getting valuable work done, you chase impossible standard, you probably have paralysis.

In the next 8 articles I’ll help you overcome paralysis!?

Below is the first of 16 parts:

Part 1: Recognizing the Paralysis

Imagine this: You have a fantastic idea. You’ve dreamed about it for months, maybe even years. You’ve envisioned yourself succeeding, enjoying the fruits of your labor, and achieving something meaningful. You start planning, you take the first few steps, and everything seems to be going well—until it isn’t. Suddenly, progress stops. You freeze. The excitement that once fueled you begins to fade, and the project you were so passionate about sits unfinished. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and eventually, it’s forgotten.

Sound familiar?

This is the essence of paralysis—a state of inaction where progress halts, and despite wanting to move forward, you can’t. The energy to continue is replaced by doubt, hesitation, or even fear. It’s a silent force that holds you back, not because you don’t care, but because something deeper is blocking you from crossing the finish line. This paralysis is more common than most people realize, and it can creep into almost any aspect of life—be it personal goals, career ambitions, relationships, or creative projects.

Identifying Your Own Paralysis

To begin overcoming this paralysis, the first step is recognizing it in your own life. What projects have you left unfinished? What goals have you set aside because they seem too overwhelming? Are there tasks you consistently push off, even though you know they’re important?

Paralysis often shows up subtly. It might look like a series of excuses—“I’m too busy right now,” “I’ll get to it later,” or “It’s just not the right time.” These justifications can seem perfectly logical, but in reality, they are symptoms of paralysis, keeping you stuck in a cycle of inaction.

Take a moment to reflect on the following:

• Is there a project or goal you’ve been avoiding?
• Do you often feel overwhelmed by the thought of completing it?
• Have you started something with excitement, only to abandon it midway?
• Do you find yourself procrastinating on tasks that are important to your personal growth or success?

If any of these resonate with you, you may be experiencing paralysis.

The Subtle Power of Inaction

Inaction can be deceiving. On the surface, it feels harmless—after all, what’s wrong with putting something off until tomorrow? But what begins as a small delay can snowball into a pattern of avoidance, where you find yourself permanently stuck in a state of “almost.” You’ve almost completed that book, almost started that business, almost made that phone call. The danger of inaction is that it lulls you into believing there’s always more time, that someday you’ll pick things back up and finish what you started.

But the truth is, that “someday” rarely comes on its own. And the more we allow ourselves to fall into the habit of inaction, the more difficult it becomes to break free from it.

The Emotional Weight of Paralysis

Paralysis doesn’t just affect your to-do list; it has a profound impact on your emotional well-being. Each time you leave a project unfinished, it creates a weight in the back of your mind. You may not think about it every day, but it’s there, gnawing at you, whispering that you’ve failed to follow through.

This weight can lead to feelings of frustration, guilt, and even self-doubt. You may begin to question your capabilities: “Why can’t I finish this? Am I not good enough? Maybe I’m not cut out for this.” These thoughts can create a vicious cycle, where the emotional burden of paralysis makes it even harder to take action, trapping you in a state of stagnation.

The First Step to Moving Forward

The good news is that paralysis is not a permanent state. It’s a pattern, a mental block, and like all patterns, it can be broken. But to do that, you must first acknowledge that it exists.

Recognizing your paralysis is an act of self-awareness. It requires you to be honest with yourself about where you’re stuck and why. This isn’t about blaming yourself or feeling ashamed—it’s about understanding that paralysis is something everyone experiences at some point, and it’s entirely possible to overcome it.

In the chapters ahead, we’ll explore the root causes of paralysis and how it manifests in different forms, from perfectionism to procrastination to the fear of failure. We’ll dig deep into the mindset shifts and practical strategies needed to break free from paralysis and move forward with confidence.

But for now, take a deep breath. The fact that you’ve picked up this book means you’re already taking the first step toward breaking free. You’ve recognized the paralysis, and that’s the most important starting point. From here, we’ll begin the journey of understanding it and, most importantly, overcoming it.

Reflection Exercise:

At the end of each chapter, we’ll include exercises to help you actively engage with the material. For this chapter, spend some time reflecting on a project, goal, or task you’ve left incomplete. Write down why you think you stopped working on it. What feelings or thoughts come up when you consider returning to it? This exercise will help you bring your own experience with paralysis to light, setting the stage for overcoming it in the coming chapters.

Eugene Morrison is a writer and digital marketer. In the past, he has worked at top names like Cheveron, Honeywell, Saudi Aramco, and Allied Signal Chemicals. Check him out at EugeneLMorrison.Com.