When someone tells me they’re procrastinating, I don’t hear a discipline problem. I hear fear.

Procrastination is what fear looks like when it’s trying to stay unnoticed.

And I know this because I still feel it!

A few mornings ago, I woke up to the harsh sound of a 6:00 a.m. alarm clock. Now, to most people that’s routine, but for me, that’s closer to the time I go to bed. Outside, the wind howled. It was dark. It was snowing. Every part of me wanted to stay warm and still.

I put off going for a run for about ten minutes. Tried to fall back asleep. But my mind wouldn’t let it go. There was this quiet pressure. Not loud. Just steady.

One line kept repeating in my head:
The cost of procrastination is the life you could have lived.

So I got up. No hype. No sudden surge of motivation. I simply laced my shoes, tossed on a tracksuit and stepped into the cold.

I ran five miles… at 6:12 a.m. on a Tuesday morning.
5.1 miles in 42:04. No PR. Just a kept promise. And that’s all you need.

You see, that run didn’t change my life. But it changed my day. And days are how lives change.

The fear didn’t disappear. I just moved anyway.

It all starts with delay.
Then comes the guilt.
Then distraction.
Then some more delay.

Before you realise it, you’re not just avoiding the task… you’re avoiding how it makes you feel about yourself.

That spiral feeds on inaction.

But here’s the part most people miss:
There’s an upward spiral too. And it starts the same way.

Around here we do NRH (Next Right Habit): pick one lever for 48 hours.

Three levers. Pick one.

Sleep
Go to bed earlier than feels necessary. If you’ve been going to bed at 11:30, try 10:30. It doesn’t have to be a monumental change. It just has to be change.

Move
Walk, run, lift weights, play a sport. Something that reminds your body you’re still alive.

Focus
One uninterrupted block on the thing you’re avoiding. Start messy. Finish honest.

That’s it.
You don’t need intensity. You need a kept promise.

One kept promise can change how you see yourself.
That shift creates momentum.
Momentum makes fear quieter.

If this landed with you, I’d genuinely like to hear from you!

Reply to this email and start with:
Stuck Task: one sentence on what you’ve been putting off
Why it matters: one sentence on the cost of not doing it
Lever: Sleep / Move / Focus

I’ll personally respond to the first 25 replies. And that’s a promise.
No pressure. No performance. Just an honest step forward.

~ Uncommon Wisdom


P.S. ~ Forward this to one friend who’s “paused” today. Do a 48-hour NRH together.