Reading Time: 3 minutes

When You Know What to Do (But You’re Just Not Doing It)

You know what to do… but you’re just not doing it. Sound familiar? In this episode, Anna breaks down why knowing and doing are two totally different things, and what’s really standing between you and follow-through. Plus, find out how to get the structure and accountability you need inside the Take Back Your Time Challenge: Stress-Free Holiday Edition.

LISTEN IN APPLE PODCASTS | LISTEN IN SPOTIFY | LISTEN IN STITCHER

You know what to do… but you’re just not doing it. Sound familiar?

In this episode, time management coach Anna Dearmon Kornick unpacks why knowing and doing are two totally different skill sets—and what’s really standing between you and follow-through.

Whether you’re stuck in procrastination, overwhelmed by your to-do list, or trying to force a system that doesn’t fit your personality, you’ll learn simple, practical ways to take action and finally follow through on your goals.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why knowing what to do and actually doing it are two completely different skill sets
  
• Four common reasons you’re not following through—and how to fix each one
  
• Practical strategies to move from stuck to started
  
• How accountability and community make follow-through easier

Why You’re Not Following Through

We all know what to do—plan ahead, say no, set boundaries—but execution is the hard part.
Knowing what to do is mental. Doing it is behavioral.

Sometimes people say, “You know what to do—just do it!” But it’s not that simple.
If it were, you’d already be doing it.

So before you beat yourself up, pause and ask:

“Why am I not doing it?”

Below are the four most common culprits that get in the way of following through on your goals.

Procrastination

Procrastination isn’t about laziness—it’s a signal. You’re avoiding something because it feels too big, too complex, too boring, or too scary.

When It Feels Too Big

Break big projects into smaller, doable steps. Focus on one piece instead of the whole thing.
Clarity creates confidence, and small progress builds momentum.

When It Feels Too Complex

Ask yourself, “What’s the very next thing I can do to move this forward?”
If you don’t know, your first step is to figure that out. Talk it through with someone or write it down until you find clarity.

When It Feels Too Boring

Pair it with something enjoyable—music, a podcast, or a good cup of coffee. We can’t make every task exciting, but we can make it more pleasant.

When It Feels Too Scary

Fear often hides behind procrastination. Name what you’re afraid of—failure, imperfection, letting someone down.
Naming fear takes away its power and helps you move forward.

Overwhelm

Sometimes what looks like procrastination is really overwhelm.
You’re not avoiding the task; you’re simply out of capacity—no time, no energy, no mental space.

You don’t need more motivation; you need more room.
Make space by saying no, delegating, or lowering the bar for “done.”

Inside the Navigator phase of the It’s About Time Academy, you’ll find tools designed to help you beat back overwhelm and create capacity, such as:

The Mind Sweep

Clear the mental clutter so you can focus on what matters.

The Clarity Compass

Identify your direction and regain focus.

The CURVE Method

Handle life’s curveballs with calm and control.

These practical tools help you find breathing room when everything feels like too much.
Creating space is an action—and one of the most productive ways to follow through on goals.

When the Method Doesn’t Fit

If you’ve made space and you’re still not following through, the problem might be the method.

Not every time management strategy works for every person.
Inside the It’s About Time Academy, we use personality as our guide to help members create systems that fit their natural rhythms and preferences.

When you know yourself, you can design systems that work with your personality, not against it.

To see how your personality impacts the way you manage time, take the free quiz at annadkornick.com/quiz.

Once you understand yourself, everything starts to click—because you’re not following a generic method; you’re following your method.

Accountability: The Missing Piece

Following through is easier when you’re not doing it alone.
Accountability turns intention into action.

It’s not about pressure or perfection; it’s about structure and encouragement that keep you consistent when motivation fades.

When you’re surrounded by others working toward similar goals, you start to believe it’s possible for you too.

That’s why I created the Take Back Your Time Challenge: Stress-Free Holiday Edition.
It’s a five-day experience designed to give you structure, community, and accountability so you can do what you already know works—before the holiday rush.

Join the challenge at abouttimechallenge.com.
Knowing what to do is one thing, but doing it—with support—changes everything.