The Loop That Looks Like Progress
When planning becomes a place to hide
At what point does preparation become avoidance?
There’s a version of being “stuck” that looks a lot like movement.
Researching.
Planning.
Refining.
I fall into this trap constantly.
In fact, this post is probably for me first, and for you second.
For years, I’ve been “building.”
Reading.
Studying.
Creating.
Stacking credentials on top of credentials.
I stopped counting at 10.
Seriously.
There’s a fine line between what’s admirable and silly.
And I’ve crossed it
with all the letters
I can add after my name
in an email signature.
From the outside, it probably looks like growth.
And in some ways, it is.
But it’s more than that.
It’s cover.
Because as long as I stay in that “development” loop,
I don’t have to step into anything that could push back.
I don’t have to be seen.
I don’t have to take a real risk.
I don’t have to find out what actually happens
when there’s nothing left between me and the leap.
There’s a certain sense of safety
in the phase right before action.
Like standing just behind a curtain.
You can hear the room.
You know your part.
But you’re not exposed yet.
And the mind is good at keeping you there.
It turns planning into something that feels just productive enough
to keep you circling.
“I’m being intentional.”
“I’m gaining clarity.”
“I’m almost ready.”
But if you step back,
you realize you already know what needs doing.
And once you know, something shifts.
The distance closes.
The space to hide in shrinks.
And that’s the uncomfortable part.
Because once you move,
you don’t just risk falling short.
You also lose the safety
of hiding behind potential.
You’re in it.
Of course, planning has a role.
But once you have direction,
more planning doesn’t bring more clarity.
It just creates distance
between where you are
and what you know you need to do.
But the shift from here isn’t dramatic.
No breakthrough.
No perfect plan.
Just a simple moment
where it’s a little harder
to pretend you don’t see it.
That you’re still there.
Just behind the curtain.
And from there, there’s not much left to figure out.
Just whether to remain…or not.
Planning can feel a lot like progress.
Until it becomes the place you hide.
And maybe today isn’t about making a better plan.
Maybe it’s just the moment you finally notice
where you’ve been standing this whole time.
Where in your life are you still “getting ready”?
What this names so well is the way preparation can become a sophisticated form of hiding.
I especially liked the idea that planning stops being clarifying at a certain point and starts creating distance between us and what we already know we need to do...
I was and probably am still guilty of this, great article Cory.