Why We Know What to Do... But Still Don’t Do It

Hi there,

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re exactly who I was a few years ago.

The high-achieving leader who can steer a team through chaos... but struggles to manage their own calendar.

You’re juggling everyday fires at work, family responsibilities, and the endless doom scrolling habit. It leaves you feeling like there’s never enough time.

You’re still showing up. Still performing.
But lately, it feels like you’re wearing too many masks... and just performing instead of leading with presence.

And if you catch yourself procrastinating with “work-adjacent tasks” (checking email, scrolling Slack) when there’s a bigger project waiting?

You’re not alone.

The Real Cost of “Just a Quick Break”

I've been reflecting on what truly drives our distractions.

It’s easy to blame the external stuff: the pings, dings, and rings.
But research shows those only account for about 10% of our distractions.

The rest? It’s internal.
We’re not avoiding tasks.
We’re avoiding how we feel about those tasks.

That was a game-changer for me.

We’re trying to escape...

• Uncertainty

• Boredom

• Fatigue

• Anxiety

It’s not a discipline issue. It’s not a “broken brain.”

It’s a skill we were never taught.

How to sit with discomfort without running from it.

And once I saw that clearly, everything shifted.

Time management is actually pain management.

Because every human action is, at its core, an attempt to escape discomfort.

That unnecessary scroll? That email you didn’t really need to check?

It’s just the path of least resistance... to soothe pain you haven’t named yet.

The Truth About Distraction

Here’s the big reframe.

Both are forms of action…
The difference is intent.

Traction moves you toward your values.
Distraction pulls you away from them.

If you plan your rest, your scroll time, your downtime... it's not wasted.

The issue is when you don’t have a clear intention and let distraction make the decisions for you.

That’s how burnout happens: high expectations with no real control.

How It Shows Up

Distraction isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s subtle. Heavy. Familiar.

Here’s how it hides in plain sight:

• Comparison: Social media makes someone else’s highlight reel feel like your failure. You chase trends and lose your path.

• Worry: It robs you of presence. Most worries are false alarms, yet they still drain your courage.

• Debt and Overspending: Money stress compounds over time. Often, we spend to soothe, fit in, or escape.

• Perfectionism: “If it’s not perfect, why bother?” becomes the excuse that keeps us stuck. It’s fear of failure wearing a mask.

Choosing Your Path

Real change begins with awareness.
You can’t change what you can’t see.

Start by recognizing the GAILs: those internal blocks like Ghost code, Assumptions, Interpretations, and Limiting Beliefs that keep you stuck.

That same discomfort that once made you quit?
High performers use it as fuel. To go deeper, not faster.

If you repeat distraction long enough, it’s not a mistake anymore.
It becomes a decision.

So the question is...

Are you ready to stop letting chaos dictate your day and start leading from your values?

Because the answers are out there.
And the shift isn’t just about what you do.
It’s about learning how to get out of your own way.

Living in the present doesn’t mean ignoring the future.
It means acting with intention today, powered by a clear vision of where you’re headed.

If this resonated with you, here’s how I can support you further.

I teach a framework that helps you:

1. Master Internal Triggers – So you can manage discomfort rather than avoid it.

2. Make Time for Traction – Using intention and real planning, not reactive to-do lists.

3. Hack Back External Triggers – To control the 10% of noise around you.

4. Prevent Distraction with Pacts – So you build consistency that lasts.

If you're ready to move from the cycle of coulda, woulda, shoulda to “I want, I will, I do”

Ready to take the first step?

Just reply with “I’m in” or “Let’s talk”, and I’ll send you a link to book a short clarity call. We’ll uncover where distractions are holding you back and what traction really looks like for you.

Let’s align your high performance with true fulfillment.

Keep going.
Keep growing.

Your coach and friend,
Carlos