Hey,

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

That one task sitting in the back of your mind like background noise.

The one that makes your stomach tighten slightly when you think about it.

The one you've been "meaning to get to" for weeks, maybe months, possibly even a year.

We all have it.

And we all do the same thing with it—we avoid it like hell.

Here's how it always plays out:

You think about the task.

Your brain immediately serves up a dozen reasons why now isn't the right time:

"I don't have enough time today"

"I need to research this more first"

"I'll do it when I have a completely free weekend"

"Let me just finish these other things first"

So you push it aside.

Again.

Days turn into weeks.

Weeks turn into months.

The task grows larger in your mind, more intimidating, more complicated than it actually is.

Then one day—usually when you're fed up with your own excuses—you say "fuck it" and just do it.

And you know what happens?

You finish it in two days.

Sometimes less.

Sometimes just a few hours.

A task you avoided for months gets done in less than a week.

Sound familiar?

For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why we do this to ourselves.

I thought it was fear.

But we do scary things all the time.

I thought it was complexity.

But we handle complex projects daily.

I thought it was time.

But we somehow find time for everything else.

The real reason hit me recently, and it's so simple it's almost embarrassing:

We don't write it down.

Think about it.

All your other tasks—the ones you actually do—are written somewhere.

Your to-do list, your calendar, your project management system.

They have deadlines, priorities, clear next steps.

But that one task you keep avoiding?

It lives only in your head.

When a task stays in your head, it remains vague and shapeless.

Your brain can't properly process it because there's nothing concrete to work with.

Without clear boundaries, the task expands to fill whatever mental space you give it.

A simple website update becomes "redesigning my entire online presence".

Organizing your desk becomes "completely renovating my workspace".

But the moment you write it down—really write it down with specifics and a deadline—something magical happens.

The task shrinks back to its actual size.

Right now, you're thinking about yours, aren't you?

That project you've been putting off.

That conversation you need to have.

That creative pursuit you keep saying you'll start "someday".

Here's what I want you to do:

Write it down.

Not "someday I should..." but the actual, specific task.

Set a deadline.

Not "eventually" or "when I have time".

Pick a real date.

Break it into the first step.

What's the very first thing you need to do?

Write that down too.

I'm doing this myself as I write this article.

I just wrote down the task I've been avoiding for weeks and set a deadline for tomorrow.

Your turn.

Here's the thing about that one task you keep avoiding—it's usually more important than all the busy work you fill your days with.

It's often the thing that could actually move the needle forward in your life or career.

The thing that could unlock the next level for you.

But it sits there, creating mental noise, draining your energy, making you feel stuck.

Stop carrying it in your head.

Put it on paper.

Give it a deadline.

Then watch how quickly your "impossible" task becomes just another thing you do.

If you want a system to help you capture, organize, and actually complete the tasks that matter most, check out Second Brain 6.0

Thanks for reading,

Osama (OLS)