Action first, clarity second:
What the Gita (and behavioural psychology) teach us about moving forward
There’s a common story we tell ourselves: When I feel ready, I’ll start.
We wait for motivation to hit, for our minds to settle, for clarity to arrive before we take action. But what if we’ve got it backwards? What if movement—not thought—is what leads us to the answers we seek?
Modern psychology and the Bhagavad Gita both point to a radical truth: we don’t think our way into action, we act our way into thinking differently.
The Paralysis of Overthinking
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in indecision, you’re not alone. Whether it’s starting a new habit, making a big decision, or simply rolling out your yoga mat, we often wait for some internal shift before moving forward. We believe that if we just analyse the situation enough, we’ll feel ready.
However behavioural psychology suggests otherwise. It’s the inverse, in fact the “action precedes motivation” principle shows that taking even the smallest step creates momentum. This is why:
Writing one sentence often leads to finishing a page.
Stepping outside for fresh air makes a walk seem doable.
Listening in a yoga Nidra sessions brings about a relaxation response.
In short, we don’t need to feel like doing something to do it. Doing it creates the feeling we were waiting for and we learn to fill gaps in knowledge and skill as we go along.
The Bhagavad Gita’s Take on Inaction vs. Action
This is why the Gita is such a well rounded philosophy… This same principle of doing first is at the heart of the Bhagavad Gita.
Arjuna, frozen in fear on the battlefield, is paralyzed by overthinking. He agonises over what is right, what is wrong, what might happen if he moves forward. His mind spins in endless loops, a familiar pattern to anyone who has ever second-guessed a major decision. He initially decides it’s best not to act because he’s not sure what choice is correct.
Krishna’s response isn’t soft reassurance. He doesn’t tell Arjuna to wait until he feels ready. Instead, he tells him to act.
“You have a right to your actions, but not to the fruits of your actions.” (Gita 2.47)
In other words: take the next step, not because you know exactly where it will lead, but because action itself is the path. Of course we have expectations, but in actual fact we can’t definitively control the output of our actions, with any form of certainty.
Yoga, at its core in this view, isn’t about waiting for peace to arrive. Can we justify using yoga as a means to engaging with life in a way that cultivates doing.
How This Applies to Our Practice
In a world that encourages waiting for the “right time,” yoga invites us to begin, right here, as we are.
This is where I’ve created a practice I call Sensory Relaxation reflected in yoga philosophy, meeting the demands of humanity in modern society and using our body (inc. mind) as a praxis and a tool to keep acting.
Rather than forcing clarity purely through analysis, we create the conditions for clarity to arise naturally as we learn to read our own sensory system. Instead of fighting discomfort, we practice reading into why it’s arising and softening into our unique sensory signals. Instead of chasing peace, we develop capacity to cultivate awareness.
In doing so, we start to be able to shift. To respond appropriately to discomfort as opposed to ignoring it altogether.
This isn’t about forcing action for the sake of it. It’s about understanding that small, intentional movements, based on our sensory experiences, lead to the very clarity we’ve been searching for.
So the next time you feel stuck, instead of asking, “What’s the perfect next step?” try asking:
What’s the simplest next step I can take?
Because sometimes, the act of moving is what makes everything else fall into place.
Keep exploring these ideas with us in the Wellness Club, where we’re putting these teachings into practice not just thinking about them, but feeling and doing them.
If you are interested info here.