Putting Off Hard Things Will Cost You More Later

Most of us know exactly what we're avoiding. The decision.. The conversation.. The change that needs to happen..

We tell ourselves we'll deal with it later. When things calm down. When we have more information. When it feels right.

But "later" has a price tag. And it's always higher than we think.

Here's how I learned that lesson the hard (and costly) way….

I once went into business with a long-time friend who was charming, charismatic, magnetic. He was selfish too…but did I say he was magnetic?!

Over time though, he began to check out more and more on the business. Handed everything to me.

I didn't mind at first. I was doing what I loved. Building something real. Fixing complex problems. Dialing in systems. Building a team..

There were red flags…then more red flags. Money pulled out of the company without my knowledge. Company resources redirected to his side projects.

I told myself I couldn't go on like this. That I'd confront him (again). Decide I wasn’t going to keep doing this..

But I drifted back to what was comfortable…hoping he'd change, that he'd see my value and acknowledge it.

Deep down, I had invested a ton into stabilizing and growing this company I'd built. So I buried myself in the work instead.

All while continuing to chase the original goal which was to sell at a specific revenue/net income target…instead of facing the truth:

He wasn't a partner or a friend. He was just using me to get to where he wanted.

When we hit our financial goals to sell… I told myself things would change. They never did.

One day, after a dispute, I got locked out of everything.

Zero equity. Mid 8-figure company. Gone.

My confidence shattered completely. I let valuable relationships go b/c I couldn’t muster the energy.. My health collapsed for the next two years. I struggled to move forward in business and life.

It took years to recover from the hurt and betrayal.

The cost of waiting? Everything.

Why Our Brain Keeps Us Stuck

Here's what's actually happening when we avoid the hard call.

Your brain isn't broken. It's doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you from “bad” things like the unknown…discomfort, etc

Below are four psychological patterns that can keep us stuck. Understanding these will help you see why you delay... and more importantly how to stop.

Present bias ... Our brain overvalues today and discounts tomorrow. The relief of not dealing with it right now feels massive. The cost six months from now feels abstract and distant. So you hand the problem to "future you." But (and this is really important) —> Future you never shows up.

Think of it like charging everything to a credit card. Feels painless today. But, the bill always comes due.

Loss aversion ... Losses hurt about twice as much as gains feel good. The short-term loss (conflict, embarrassment, admitting you were wrong) looms larger than the long-term win.

So our brain chooses inaction over risk, even when inaction is the risk.

It's like holding a stock that's tanking because selling means admitting the loss. Meanwhile, it bleeds more every day.

Experiential avoidance ... You're not putting off the task. You're putting off the feeling the task brings. The anxiety. The confrontation. The uncertainty of what comes next.

Procrastination isn't a time management problem. It's emotion management in disguise. We delay to feel better now (while paying for it later)...remember Present bias?

The subconscious protector ... Deep down, our survival system has filed "hard decisions" under threat. It quietly reroutes you toward safety: busywork, hopeful thinking, waiting one more quarter.

That reflex kept us alive on the savannah. In business, it can cost us everything.

Think of it like a leaky pipe…today, it’s just a drip. Ignore it and you're replacing flooring in six months.

Delay doesn't stop damage from happening. If ignored, it almost always just compounds.

You can't fix what you can't see. But once you see the pattern, you can break it.

So where are you stuck right now?

What hard decision have you been putting off? What tough conversation keeps getting pushed to next quarter? What operational mess are you hoping will fix itself?

Name it. Feel it. Because you can't fix what you won't face.

Now let's talk about what to do about it.

How to Break the Pattern (and Move Forward)

You've named it. Good. That's further than most people get.

Now here's how you unstick yourself and take action.

Step 0: Face the real cost of doing nothing.

Before you take action, get brutally honest about what happens if you don't.

What does your business look like in 12 months if nothing changes? What about your health? Your relationships? Your confidence?

Write it down. Don't sugarcoat it. Feel the weight of it.

This isn't fear mongering. It's clarity. Your brain has been protecting you from this feeling, which is exactly why you're stuck. You need to feel what's at stake, logically and emotionally, before you'll move.

The discomfort of action is always smaller than the cost of inaction.

Step 1: Make it binary.

Stop leaving the decision open-ended. Your brain will keep you in analysis paralysis forever if you let it. Force clarity.

Say out loud: "I'm going to [take action] by [specific date]" or "I'm not going to do this, and I'm closing the loop on it."

No maybes. No "when things settle down." Yes or no. Date or delete.

Step 2: If it's a no, close it for good.

Delete it from your list. Delegate it to someone else. Or buy the outcome and move on.

Leaving it open drains energy. Every time you see it, your brain re-triggers the avoidance loop. Cut it. Free the mental space.

Step 3: If it's a yes, take one irreversible step in the next 48 hours.

Not planning. Not research. Action that creates momentum and makes turning back harder than moving forward.

Send the message. Schedule the meeting. Make the hire. Fire the person. Cancel the contract. Move the money.

Small step. Real consequence. No escape hatch.

Step 4: Put a dollar value on your delay.

Run the actual numbers. What is this costing you per week? Per month? Per year?

Inefficient ops? Calculate the wasted hours times your blended labor rate. Bad partnership? Estimate lost revenue, time, or equity. Avoiding a hard conversation? Count the opportunities you're missing while you wait.

Make it concrete. Feel the weight of it.

Most people avoid because the cost feels abstract. The moment it becomes real, action gets easier.

Step 5: Expect discomfort. Do it anyway.

You're not going to feel ready. You're not going to feel confident. The feeling you're avoiding? It's still going to show up.

But here's the truth: discomfort now is always smaller than disaster later.

The longer you wait, the bigger the bill. The harder the conversation. The messier the exit.

So take the step. Feel the feeling. Move anyway.

That's how you break the cycle.

Bombproof tip: Write a check for a significant amount to an organization you'd never support. Seal it in an envelope with their address. Give it to a trusted friend with clear instructions: if you don't complete your commitment by the date you set, they mail it. Nothing forces action like real stakes.

Final Thoughts

Did you cut to the end? Okay, here’s the skinny…

Avoidance isn't a character flaw. It's your brain doing its job...protecting you from discomfort.

But that same protection is costing you momentum, money, and peace of mind.

The pattern breaks when you stop hoping things will change and start making them change.

How? Name what you're avoiding. Face the real cost. Make it binary. Take one irreversible step.

The discomfort of action is always smaller than the cost of inaction.

What's your next move?