Sometimes everything's going well, you're on top of your work, know what needs to be done, and feel like you're making progress. But then life happens: You get sick, go on vacation, a colleague quits, or you suddenly have multiple appointments at once. Maybe a global crisis hits that hampers your productivity.

You no longer feel like you're on top of your work, but rather that the list of tasks you have to complete is overwhelming. And as the list grows longer, you feel smaller and smaller. The rational part of you knows you have to redouble your efforts to get as much done as possible in the time available. But the emotional part just gives up: Why even try? No matter what I do, I'll never get it done. I wonder what's new on Instagram?

Your fight, flight, or freeze response to danger is a helpful tool for survival. But to succeed, you must overcome your instincts and process your situation at a higher level.

So take a few deep breaths and dive in with us.

Start anytime, anywhere

One of the main reasons people fail to make progress is because they no longer know where to start. They spend a lot of time thinking about what's most important, but accomplish little or nothing of significance.

Blocking Mindset : “I need to know for sure that this part of the project is the highest priority, and if I move it forward, I won’t regret prioritizing it over everything else.”

Helpful mindset : “I can’t always know for sure what should be a priority, but I can reasonably decide to start with something I know is important.”

Take Action : Choose a project (or part of it) to focus on first.

Learning by doing

Another obstacle that prevents people from making progress is a lack of clarity about how to complete an entire process. In some cases, this makes sense. For example, if you're performing a surgical procedure or doing something that puts people's lives at risk, if you don't know exactly how to get from start to finish, you should stop until you do. But for most tasks, it's not necessary to know the entire roadmap to take the first step.

Blocking Mindset : “If I don’t know how to execute this project perfectly, or if I’m not sure how everything will work from the beginning, then I won’t even start.”

Helpful Mindset : "Part of getting started can be learning. I can take the first step by reading more, talking to an expert, or taking time to think about my approach. I don't need to know the whole roadmap to learn and take the next step."

Action : Decide on a first step, whether it is reading, thinking, or talking to a colleague.

Success is when you show up

If you measure success by how much work you get done, you'll continue to avoid it. Between meetings, emails, and energy levels, most of us never have time to focus on a project for hours and make significant progress. But if you start small and keep at it, success will follow.

Even if a project seems huge and intractable, there are ways to tackle it effectively: Neil Fiore, author of The Now Habit, says you can start with 5 to 15 minutes , and in Atomic Habits, author James Clear suggests starting with a two-minute habit. So if you can't bring yourself to read an entire document that's been on your to-do list for months, start with one page, stop, and read another the next day.

Blocking mindset : “I am only successful if I can achieve a lot.”

Helpful Mindset : "I can be successful if I consistently make progress in my work. Starting and starting again, even if it's just for a few minutes a day, can help me regain momentum in areas where I'm stuck. I have plenty of time to make progress."

Take action : Commit to working on something for a certain number of minutes at a specific time. Then decide when you want to start again. Keep starting until you get into the swing of things—and if you want to work out for more than a few minutes, you can do that too. The goal is to make the start as effortless as possible.

Pay attention to your feelings

Decisions that turn out to be mistakes can be discouraging. The fear of making another wrong decision can lead to prolonged inaction. To overcome this block, it can be helpful to consult a competent and supportive person. They can be calming and accepting, reducing feelings of embarrassment and shame.

Creating a detailed action plan, such as an Excel spreadsheet with specific monthly steps, can provide a clear path forward. While the initial effort may feel uncomfortable, persistence over time can lead to a sense of accomplishment and less regret and anxiety. While past losses can't be undone, careful action can improve future decisions.

It is important to allow emotions, but they should not prevent you from taking the necessary steps to deal with the situation.

Blocking mindset : “If I feel uncomfortable, I can’t get anything done.”

Helpful Mindset : "I can feel regret, guilt, shame, disappointment, embarrassment, resentment, or other negative emotions and still take productive steps. Over time, my negative feelings will lessen in intensity and transform into a healthy sense of fulfillment."

Take action : Take action, even if you feel uncomfortable. If your emotions become too overwhelming, reduce the time you spend on the task or take the next step with someone who can provide moral support.

Always start over

For a few people, completing a project is a fluid movement—like a painter's brushstroke filling his canvas in one sweep. For most of us, however, productivity is less linear: Starting, stopping, and starting again is the norm. We set aside time to work on a project, and then something happens that requires us to adjust priorities and schedules—and that's okay, as long as we don't lose sight of it.

Blocking mindset : “If I don’t move forward gracefully, linearly, and without interruption, I’m doing something wrong.”

Helpful Mindset : "The reality of life means that progress is often chaotic and sometimes disjointed. But every step in the right direction counts, and I can keep starting over until I've achieved what I need to achieve."

Take action : When you finish a task, plan the next step and move on.

We hope we've encouraged you to move forward, even if you've been stuck for weeks, months, or even years. Now is the perfect time to start.

If you want to learn more about how to succeed in an urban environment, sign up for our newsletter and read: City Life & Stress: How to Stay Relaxed