Rule #1: Do it Before You Don’t

Rule #1: Do It Before You Don’t

Samir, the man sitting across from me, is a walking paradox. His career has zigged and zagged so unpredictably that he calls them “chapters in the book of life” rather than the dull entries of a corporate résumé. He’s been a country manager for a humanitarian mission, a commercial leader in telecom, an entrepreneur, and now, once again, a leader of a nonprofit. His trajectory makes no sense—and yet, it makes perfect sense.

We speak in English, though it’s neither his nor my mother tongue. It just works better for the way we think. Between us, the coffee table is a mess: my iPad—because I’m a tech-futurist who loves the future and his yellow notepad and pen—because he’s the kind of person who draws when he thinks.

We talk strategy. I throw out ideas for ventures I want to launch at the company where I’m currently CEO. But something else is on my mind today. September is here. The air is a mix of summer warmth and autumn crispness. Kids are back in school. Life is shifting gears. And I’m sitting here, turning over the big questions in my head: Should I switch careers? Go back to school? Move to a new country? I don’t know, and I’m overthinking it.

So I throw a curveball to Samir. What should I do with these thoughts?

He takes a sip of coffee, leans back, and says, “Just… do it before you don’t.”

 “Sorry?” I heard him, but his phrasing throws me off that I am trying to win some time.

Do it before you don’t.

The weight of it hits me.

The Illusion of Action

We think we’re making progress when we think about something. We mistake brainstorming for action. We confuse research with execution. We convince ourselves that mapping out a plan is the same as taking the first step.

But it’s not. There’s a quote I heard from Chris Williamson that perfectly captures this delusion:

“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.”

It’s brutal. But it’s true.

Steven Pressfield, in The War of Art, gave this hesitation a name: Resistance. It's the silent, invisible force that quietly persuades us to delay, doubt, or avoid action altogether. Resistance doesn’t announce itself—it doesn’t appear as an obvious enemy. Instead, it’s subtle, persuasive, and rational. It whispers reasonable-sounding thoughts into our ear, cloaking itself in logic, practicality, and caution.

It tells us things like, "I should probably learn more before I begin," or "I'm not ready yet—I should wait for better timing," or even, "Next year I'll have more experience; it will be easier then."

But these are lies Resistance tells us, disguising procrastination as prudence. It offers us comfort in delaying action, ensuring that the important decisions we need to make remain perpetually unfinished, unexplored, and undone.

This isn't merely about hesitation—it's about the false security that comes from doing everything except what actually needs to be done. Resistance is subtle, seductive, and dangerous precisely because it allows us to believe we're being careful, thoughtful, even responsible. Yet in reality, we're just avoiding the discomfort of stepping into the unknown.

George Marshall and the Power of Doing

There’s a story Ryan Holiday tells in Ego is the Enemy about General George C. Marshall, one of the most influential military leaders of the 20th century. Unlike other officers who spent their careers maneuvering for promotions, playing politics, and trying to “earn” the right role, Marshall didn’t wait for permission to be great.

Instead of wasting years angling for a better position, he made himself indispensable wherever he was. He took on work others avoided. He became known for taking decisive action—not because he had the perfect strategy, but because he refused to sit idle.

When the time came for the U.S. to prepare for World War II, President Roosevelt didn’t hesitate—he promoted Marshall straight to Army Chief of Staff, skipping over dozens of more “senior” officers. Why? Because Marshall had already proven he could lead.

Others had spent their careers waiting, planning, hoping. He had spent his executing.

The Manager’s Dilemma: The Price of Hesitation

As managers, we’re paid to decide. Every day, every hour, we're asked to make choices, large and small—choices that affect our teams, our companies, and our own futures. The pressure can be daunting. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that delaying action buys us more time or reduces risk. But there’s something managers often overlook: not deciding is also a decision.

Inaction isn’t neutral. It’s an implicit choice, one that often comes at a higher cost than any wrong decision could. When we don’t act, events take their course anyway. Opportunities disappear, competition advances, and circumstances force our hand later, usually under worse conditions.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has long championed the concept he calls the 70% Rule. The essence is simple: you should make most decisions when you have around 70% of the information you wish you had. Wait longer—say, until you're 90% sure—and you’ll likely find the opportunity is gone. Bezos argues that the cost of waiting for absolute certainty is almost always higher than the cost of making decisions swiftly, even if those decisions sometimes need later correction.

Take launching a new product. You can spend months planning, building forecasts, running models, and debating scenarios in board meetings. Yet, while you linger, competitors step forward, markets change, and customer interest fades. Waiting doesn’t guarantee success—it merely guarantees you’ll arrive late. It ensures your strategy will always be playing catch-up.

Consider again General George Marshall - his brilliance wasn’t simply in the depth of his strategic insight—it was his willingness to act, his courage to decide and move forward, even when outcomes weren’t assured. He became indispensable precisely because he didn’t succumb to the paralysis of perfect knowledge. Marshall knew that hesitation was a luxury no leader could afford.

We, as managers, must accept the discomfort that comes with uncertainty. Leadership doesn’t require perfection—it demands decisiveness, clarity, and courage. Good management is not about avoiding risk; it’s about managing it proactively. And that requires action, even in uncertainty.

So, as you sit there pondering your next move—whether launching a venture, switching roles, or reinventing yourself—recognize that your indecision itself carries consequences. Waiting too long means missing your moment. Not making a decision is making a decision—often the worst one.

In the end, the price of hesitation is rarely safety; more often, it’s regret.

That’s why Samir’s words echoed so loudly that day:

Do it before you don’t.