I used to tell myself I was being responsible and mapping things out to avoid obstacles like other business owners. I would often say
“I just need to do a little more research.”
That sounded smart. Safe. Mature.
But if I’m being honest, most of the time it wasn’t about getting better information. It was about avoiding a decision.
Research feels productive. Fear does not.
So we wrap fear in something that looks useful.
The Comfort of Research
Research gives us something to do without actually committing to anything.
You can:
Read another article
Watch another YouTube video
Compare one more tool
Ask one more person for the opinion (this is an endless loop)
Ask AI every question you can think of
And at the end of the day, you haven’t risked anything.
No money spent.
No decision made.
No chance of being wrong.
It feels like progress, but nothing actually moved.
When Research Crosses the Line
Research is helpful until it becomes a delay tactic. Here’s the line most people don’t notice crossing:
You already know enough to take the next small step.
But you don’t feel ready.
So instead of acting, you look for certainty.
The problem? Certainty rarely shows up before action.
The Real Fear Hiding Underneath
When someone says, “I need to research this more,” what they’re often really saying is:
What if I choose wrong?
What if I waste money?
What if this doesn’t work?
What if I look stupid?
What if I fail?
Those are emotional risks, not information gaps.
No amount of research removes them completely.
Why Smart People Get Stuck Here
This trap is especially common with thoughtful, capable people.
People who:
Don’t want to make careless decisions
Have been burned before
Know there’s no rewind button
So they over-prepare.
They convince themselves that more knowledge will create less risk.
In reality, it just delays learning.
Action Is a Form of Research
This is the shift that changed things for me:
Action is not the opposite of research.
It’s the final step of it.
You don’t learn how something really works until:
You spend the money
You launch the page
You send the email
You try the tool
Small action gives clearer feedback than ten hours of reading.
A Better Question to Ask Yourself
Next time you catch yourself saying,
“I just need to research this more,” ask:
What’s the smallest action I could take with the information I already have?
Not the final decision.
Not the perfect setup.
Just the next move that teaches you something real.
The Square Toolbox Rule
Most business problems don’t need more information.
They need:
One decision
One tool
One test
One uncomfortable step
Take action
Progress usually comes from doing, not knowing.
If this hit a little too close to home, you’re not alone.
I write these notes because I’ve lived them and I still catch myself doing it.
The goal isn’t to stop researching.
It’s to stop using it as a hiding place.