For one of my boy’s birthday’s we got him his first bike with pedals. Watching him learn reminded me; action beats research.

He had a balance bike before and it was time to move up a level. We skipped the stabilisers but he couldn’t have had more than a handful of tries with me holding on before he powered off solo.

My little boy couldn’t read yet but that’s not why he didn’t look up “how to ride a bike” on Google or ChatGPT for cycling tips. He didn’t go on Amazon to check for deals on Kindle titles under “learning to cycle”. He has no idea that anyone would think about learning anything that way. In his short life he’s learned everything he knows by trial and error. He just does it. Sometimes it works straight away, sometimes he wobbles on the way to mastery and sometimes it’s just too early – a skill for another day.

He doesn’t think that he’s worse than anyone if he fails. Of course he gets frustrated but he doesn’t overthink it, thinking doesn’t come into it at all.

Bias towards action: the antidote to procrastination

The buzz term for it is having “a bias towards action” – something I could do with the next time I have a “big idea”.

It’s so much better than getting caught up in the cycle of researching, planning, and questioning whether I’m the right person to do things. I often have some new concept or “concept of a concept” in my head, and instead of trying it out, I dive into research mode. I read everything I can, and more often than not, I lose momentum and trail off. Or I assume that if it was a good idea, someone else would have already done it – which is worse.

Software development as a guide: the iterative approach

One of my big ideas was an app that was going to make work easier. I dove deep into app and software development. I poured hours into a Harvard Computer Science course online even. That’s where I saw the parallel in software development. In Silicon Valley there’s an imperative to ship quickly, while there’s a buzz or before competitors take the market.

Like my boy starting on a balance bike, progressing to a bike with pedals with me holding on, before going solo. Find a way that works and build on it.

Rather than miss the opportunity – and potentially do nothing – build the minimally viable product (MVP) and then iterate (tweak or add to it) to improve it. There is no endpoint that you need to envisage before starting, just start and then continually improve. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to act, just act.

I spend a large chunk of my time and energy seeking to maximise my time and energy, at the expense of… time and energy. Instead of resting to preserve energy for some future time when I need it – just go do things, use it.

Time passes by too quickly.

Play > rest

Back to the park with my boy. We parked the bike and I saw a free bench and walked towards it, leaving him to climb. Then I caught myself. I’m always trying to optimise my life to have energy to play with my kids… why don’t I just go play with them?

Overthinking isn’t just about rumination and it’s not just psychological. It’s also “doing things” to avoid doing things – distraction in action: inaction.

I call it preparation but really it’s not preparing me if I never go and do the thing I’m “preparing” for. I’m using it to wrap a warm blanket of comfort around me. I’m convincing myself the pay off will come later.

My child doesn’t worry about preparation and perfection. He just tries. He falls, he gets up, and he tries again. Watching him learn to ride his bike reminded me that mastery doesn’t start in your head, it’s out there trying things. It’s those first awkward tries that lead to progress.

Beginner’s mindset

There’s value in embracing that beginner’s mindset. A mindset where failure isn’t a reflection of character. Where the idea isn’t to do it perfectly but to just do it.

I need to give myself permission to start small, to fail, and to learn along the way. The iterative approach isn’t just for apps – it’s a life approach.

I know the cost of not starting can be worse than starting and failing. The ideas that sit in my head fall and don’t get up, whereas the opportunities I try at least have the chance of being improved on, of getting back up if they fail or fall.

Action creates momentum. And momentum, no matter how small, is better than standing still, waiting for the perfect moment.

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People who’ve said it better than me

Just do it.

Nike

All the thinking in the world, until converted into action, has no impact on the reality of our lives.

Mo Gawdat, Solve for Happy

The main point – though it took me years to realise it – is to develop the willingness to just do something, here and now, as a one-off, regardless of whether it’s part of any system or habit or routine.

Oliver Burkeman, Meditations for Mortals