How Do I Know When to Take Action?

I’m weird – I spend a lot of time reflecting, but I also tend to make quick decisions. I find that God often speaks to me when I’ve created the space for him. And that equips me to act quickly later on when life is moving fast.

So I’m different than most people.  They are prone to either think too much before acting, or act without enough reflection. They either tend to be immobilized, thinking about the consequences of actions, or they can’t be bothered with analysis. Their instinct is Ready, Fire, Aim!

A few of us have this odd combination of those two impulses. Since I was a kid, I’ve journaled about what’s going on all around me and what it means. As I grew up, my intuitive side began to grow.  The result? Now, I often look at 5% of an issue and from that, take action.

Is there a better way to live? I like what Proverbs says: “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” So, I’d start there. You have an action you’re thinking about taking? Seek God about it.

In his book, Human Action, Ludwig von Mises helps us understand how to motivate action. We go through this 3-step process:

1. An unease or dissatisfaction with our present state
2. A vision of a better state
3. A belief we can achieve that better state

If you’re stuck in a job, relationship, or life chapter that no longer fits, Human Action provides the playbook. 

3 Steps to taking action

1. Discomfort

My journaling habit taught me this: clarity begins with brutal honesty. Von Mises’ first step—recognizing dissatisfaction—is where overthinkers excel. That job you tolerate? The relationship that you know is toxic? Journal about it.

My experience: As a younger man, I felt betrayed by a close friend. I was so hurt and didn’t know what to do. Cut them out of my life? Try to find a way to forgive them? The act of writing crystallized my pain—I couldn’t avoid it. I knew I had to deal with it.

2. Pray through options

Line the options up and pray through them. Ask God, “what option am I missing here?” Don’t make a 10-step plan—just pray about options. When I was fired from my first job out of school, I needed to decide, do I try to get a normal job or start my own business? 

• I just needed to find a way to pay bills.
• I could get cash from a variety of sources.
• I could begin working by building an office in my garage.

So, I sought the Lord. It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t sell out by getting a “normal job.” I took steps to become an entrepreneur.

3. Small steps

• Ask, “what one step could I take today?”
• Put it at the top of my To Do list.
• Work long and hard until I’ve taken a step.

Why This Works

Von Mises’ framework isn’t about perfect balance—it’s about leveraging your natural wiring. My reflective teenage years helped me better understand the world around me. And my adult intuition cuts through analysis paralysis.

Neuroscience explains my weird mix:

• Prefrontal cortex (analysis) identifies the problem
• Basal ganglia (habit center) converts micro-actions into momentum
• Dopamine hits from small wins override fear

Your Turn

1. Reflect ruthlessly: Journal 3 specific pains. (Example: “My boss micromanages me.”)
2. Pray through a direction: What’s your 5% vision? (Example: “Work without hourly check-ins.”)
3. Take a step:
   • Research one exit option (analysis)
   • Take one irreversible action within 24 hours (leap)

As von Mises wrote, action isn’t about certainty.  As believers, we get to “lean not on our own understanding” knowing that God wants us to bring our issues to him and help set us free of the anxiety of taking action on our own.