When You Think You Need to Know More… But Really Just Need to Begin
We get it. When you're feeling lost, the world starts to look like one big advice column.
Buy this book.
Sign up for that course.
Follow this expert.
Click here, scroll there.
And you? You’re trying to find your way. So you do what you’ve always done: you gather. You research. You prepare.
You stack up ideas like blankets to keep out the cold.
It feels useful. Smart, even. You're learning, right?
But here’s the thing: sometimes the impulse to “know more” isn’t clarity-seeking. Sometimes it’s a very well-disguised form of procrastination.
When Ideas Keep Us Safe (But Still Stuck)
We recently spoke to Emma Lightfoot on our podcast A Thought I Kept, and she shared something that stopped us in our tracks. A friend had gently pointed out that when Emma gets a new idea, she doesn’t immediately start it—she starts learning about it. Endlessly. Widely. Sideways.
Sound familiar?
It’s a common habit, especially for people who care deeply. Who want to get it right. Who fear failure (or being seen as someone who hasn’t got it all together).
Emma called it “learning sideways.” It gave her the comfort of movement, without the risk of failure. And we’ve all done it. Bought the book instead of opening the journal. Signed up for the challenge instead of going for the walk. Listened to another podcast on boundaries instead of actually saying no.
Awareness, Not Shame
Let’s be clear though: we love ideas. Everyday we explore what learning, growth and guidance can look like. We create courses, coach clients, share resources. But we design them with this reality in mind. That people like you might already be overwhelmed. That you don’t need another guru. That you might just need a little spark that helps you begin—right where you are.
So this isn’t a post about stopping learning.
It’s a post about noticing when you’re gathering as a form of safety… and gently asking yourself:
Am I preparing? Or am I avoiding?
What might happen if I just began?
What do I already know that I can trust?
What If You Trusted Yourself?
Emma made a pledge for 2025: no more buying books or courses on self-help. Instead, she wrote herself a list of 25 small things to do this year. She made a mini-zine as a daily reminder. And she started moving forwards—not perfectly, but consistently.
Not because she doesn’t believe in learning. But because she believes in herself now, too.
That’s something we wish more of us were taught.
That wellbeing isn’t something you acquire—it’s something you tend to.
That starting imperfectly is often more powerful than preparing forever.
That sometimes the next best step isn’t another social media scroll, course or quote—it’s a cup of tea, a deep breath, and the first 10 minutes of actually doing the thing.
A Thought to Keep
If you’re waiting to feel ready… maybe ready is a myth.
Start where you are. Begin anyway.
Write the first line. Go for the walk. Cook the simple meal.
Be in motion—imperfectly, bravely, beautifully.
You can always return to the resources later (we’ve got some good ones for when you’re ready).
But maybe the knowing you need isn’t out there.
Maybe it’s already inside you.
You can listen to this episode on Substack or wherever you get your episodes.
