I have many ideas, far more than I can possibly process at a time. However, most of these ideas never see the light of day. I fail to realize these ideas, not because they are bad, but often as a consequence of inaction.

When it comes to idea execution, people typically fall into two categories: the “planners” and the “doers”.

Planners love to hash out ideas, calculating and strategizing various possible outcomes before taking action. On the other hand, doers swiftly execute; they move forward with ideas without much planning, often intending to figure things out along the way.

I am a meticulous planner. I frequently subject my ideas to careful planning and strategy before acting on them. While this method has its benefits, it also hinders my ability to achieve certain goals.

From my experience, excessive planning sometimes conceals perfectionism. We keep tweaking the plan until we believe it is perfect. The problem, however, is that it never truly feels perfect. There is always something to change or fix, and we remain caught in this endless loop until we lose the opportunity to take action.

Excessive planning might also indicate a fear of stepping outside our comfort zone. Taking action involves a certain level of discomfort, but planning to take action at some point in the future feels much more comfortable. The fear of making that leap can trap us in endless planning as a means to avoid the discomfort of taking action.

There is also the danger of analysis paralysis. Overplanning paralyzes our ability to take action. Additionally, an idea left too long without execution often becomes stale and unappealing over time.

So, how can you become more action-oriented?

The biggest lesson I’m learning lately is that I don’t have to figure everything out before taking action.

No one has it all figured out; everyone is just trying to get things done. Those who appear to have everything together only do so because they have tried different approaches, and something finally clicked.

To figure out anything, you must be willing to try. To solve a math problem, you need to attempt the question. Of course, prior knowledge and experiences provide a foundation, but you must still make the effort regardless. The more you try, the better your chances of succeeding.

Close the execution gap.

In the business world, the execution gap refers to the disparity between what a business aims to achieve in a given period and what it actually achieves. This gap arises due to organizational and operational breakdowns.

Every business seeks to bridge that gap to get more done, and so should we.

The first step in closing the execution gap is to seek the cause. The leap from planning to action often stalls because we overthink, fear imperfection, or lack clear starting points. To bridge this gap, start by dramatically lowering the barrier to entry—create “microactions” so small they feel impossible to avoid.

Meanwhile, address psychological barriers by naming your specific fears and adopting a growth mindset that views setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures. It’s okay to start rough. The focus should be to make it exist first; you can make it good later.