Innovation Blog by Paul Tomori on the Past, Present & Future of Web Technology and Business

February 16, 2025 - by Paul Tomori

Nothing is Doing the Thing Except "DOING THE THING"

We all have some 'thing' that we know we need to do, but we just don't do it. We all have some thing that we know we SHOULD have done but that we didn't and because we didn't, life didn't go as well as it could have if we had just done the 'thing'.

For me personally, I formulated an expression to remind me to get going: "Paul, if you moved any slower on this, you'd be going backwards", I used to say.

So, yes, I know EXACTLY what it is like to not do the thing and I know EXACTLY why it happens.

The key triggers include:

The "thing" is perceived to be more complicated than I can deal with.
The "thing" is just not that clear to me. What exactly needs to be done? How exactly will I do it?
The "thing" is predicted to be painful or really hard.
The "thing" is maybe just not something I can actually do.
The "thing" that is expected of me is unrealistic.
The "thing" is just something that can wait til tomorrow.
The "thing", when done will leave me with no excuse for doing the next thing.
The "thing" is just better to TALK about doing and it makes me feel satisfied enough talking about it
The person who is asking me to do the "thing" has been vague about what they want.
The "thing" does not have a definite and clear marker to say you are now done the "thing".

The friction of just getting started creates MUCH more resistance than the friction of continuing on something that has begun. Truly, just getting started is usually the domino that starts the cascade toward getting the "thing" done.

Doing The Thing: A Poem

I first heard this poem on a podcast and traced it back to an anonymous author who only goes by the name 'Strangest Loop'. This is a classic.

Preparing to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Scheduling time to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Making a to-do list for the thing isn't doing the thing.

Telling people you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Messaging friends who may or may not be doing the thing isn't doing the thing.

Writing a banger tweet about how you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Hating on yourself for not doing the thing isn't doing the thing. Hating on other people who have done the thing isn't doing the thing. Hating on the obstacles in the way of doing the thing isn't doing the thing.

Fantasizing about all of the adoration you'll receive once you do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how to do the thing isn't doing the thing. Reading about how other people did the thing isn't doing the thing. Reading this essay isn't doing the thing.

The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.

If you are suffering procrastination or if you are at the hands of someone who is putting things off or taking forever, we are here to help. We know how to get things done.

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Nothing is "doing the thing" except: "DOING THE THING"