You know the feeling. You have something you need to get done. You know exactly what it is. You probably even put it on your calendar.
Then the time comes to actually do it. And suddenly, you don't want to.
Maybe it's prospecting. Maybe it's following up with someone who hasn't responded. Maybe it's making a difficult call, recording a video, working on your business, or finally dealing with something you've been putting off.
Nothing is physically stopping you. You just feel resistance. And this is where a lot of important work dies.
Resistance Is More Normal Than You Think
I think we make a mistake when we assume that if something is important enough, we should naturally want to do it. That's just not how it works.
I've been in real estate for more than 25 years, and I can tell you there are plenty of things I know are good for my business that I don't always feel like doing. Knowing something matters doesn't eliminate resistance. Sometimes it creates more of it.
Think about prospecting. Sending a routine email is easy. Calling someone who might reject you is different. Following up with a warm lead once is easy. Calling again after they haven't responded three times feels different.
The higher the emotional stakes, the more likely your brain is to start offering alternatives.
Maybe I'll do it this afternoon. I should probably get a little more organized first. I need to check something before I call. I'll start after I answer these emails.
All of those can sound completely reasonable. That's what makes resistance so effective. It rarely tells you, "Don't do the important thing." It gives you a perfectly acceptable reason to do something else first.
Stop Treating Resistance Like a Decision
Here's the part I think matters. Feeling resistance and deciding not to act are two different things. We've gotten very good at combining them.
I don't feel like prospecting, therefore today probably isn't a good day to prospect. I don't feel ready to make the call, therefore I should prepare more. I'm uncomfortable following up again, therefore maybe I should give them some space.
But resistance isn't necessarily useful information. Sometimes it's just a feeling.
You don't have to solve it. You don't have to understand it. And you definitely don't have to wait for it to disappear.
You can feel resistance and make the call anyway. That's execution over emotion. Not ignoring your emotions. Not pretending they don't exist. Just refusing to give every feeling a vote.
Make the Start Smaller
When resistance is high, I don't think the answer is to give yourself a motivational speech. Make the start smaller.
Don't tell yourself you're going to prospect for two hours. Make the first call.
Don't think about the entire follow-up list. Contact the first person.
Don't think about creating five videos. Turn on the camera and record one.
The first action matters because resistance usually grows while you're standing outside the work thinking about it. Once you're actually doing the work, something changes. The thing you've been avoiding becomes the thing you're doing.
That's a small win, but it's an important one. You just proved that resistance didn't control the decision.
Have a Rule Before Resistance Shows Up
This is where structure beats willpower. Decide ahead of time what happens when resistance shows up.
Your rule might be: "When I notice myself avoiding an important activity, I take the first meaningful action before I do anything else."
For prospecting, that might mean dialing one number. For follow-up, sending one message. For a difficult conversation, making the call before opening email.
You're removing the negotiation. Because if you wait until you're resisting the work to decide whether you're going to do it, guess who's helping make the decision? The part of you that doesn't want to do it. That's not a great system.
The Goal Isn't to Eliminate Resistance
I don't think you ever completely eliminate resistance. And I'm not sure you need to. The better goal is to stop making resistance so important.
There will be mornings when prospecting feels easy. There will be mornings when you'd rather clean out the garage. Both mornings can still include prospecting.
That's the shift. You're no longer asking, "Do I feel like doing this?" You're asking, "What did I decide matters?"
Then take the first meaningful action. Not tomorrow. Not when you feel more confident. Not after you get yourself motivated. Now.
Every time you do that, you create a little more evidence that you can trust yourself to act even when part of you would rather not. That's how you Take Back Control.
Execution over emotion.