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STOP WAITING TO FEEL MOTIVATED - WHY FEELING READY MAY BE KEEPING YOU STUCK

KEAN & Creative

Key Facts:

• Australian clinical psychologist Dr Vincent Fogliati and professional ghostwriter Roger Joyce have co-authored *Your Writer's Block Is Bullsh*t: Stop Fighting It, Start Writing It*, published 29 September.
• The book challenges the common belief that motivation, confidence, and certainty must come before taking action, arguing that waiting to feel ready may be what keeps people stuck.
• Drawing on the science of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the authors offer a practical framework for taking meaningful action even in the presence of fear, self-doubt, and uncertainty.
• The book helps readers recognise unhelpful thought patterns, make room for uncomfortable emotions, and act according to what genuinely matters to them, rather than allowing avoidance or perfectionism to take control.
• Although rooted in writing and creativity, the book's central message applies broadly to anyone caught in cycles of procrastination or overthinking, reassuring readers that discomfort does not need to be eliminated before progress can be made.

Australian psychologist and professional ghostwriter reveal why motivation, confidence and certainty don’t have to come before action

Every one of us knows the feeling: there’s something we want or need to do, but we just can’t seem to get started.

We tell ourselves we’ll do it when we feel more motivated. When we have more confidence. When we’re less tired, less anxious or more certain that we’re making the right decision.

But what if waiting to feel ready is exactly what’s keeping us stuck?

Australian clinical psychologist Dr Vincent Fogliati and professional ghostwriter Roger Joyce argue that motivation doesn’t have to come first. In their new book, Your Writer’s Block Is Bullsh*t: Stop Fighting It, Start Writing It, the authors explore why fear, self-doubt, discomfort and uncertainty can stop us from taking action – and why trying to get rid of those feelings before we begin may be the wrong approach.

Drawing on the science of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the book offers a practical framework for taking meaningful action even when motivation is nowhere to be found.

As the founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy puts it: “You hurt where you care, and care where you hurt.”

The idea is simple but powerful: the things that matter most to us can also trigger the greatest discomfort. Whether it’s starting a creative project, applying for a new job, having a difficult conversation, exercising, making a change or simply tackling the thing we’ve been putting off, waiting for fear or uncertainty to disappear can keep us trapped in avoidance.

Fogliati and Joyce know this from experience. Their own book began with the uncomfortable admission that they had avoided writing it themselves.

“We didn’t write this book because we conquered fear,” says Fogliati. “We wrote it because fear shows up when something matters. The goal isn’t to make fear disappear. It’s to stop letting fear make your decisions.”

Rather than promising readers a way to manufacture endless motivation, Your Writer’s Block Is Bullsh*t asks a more useful question: What if you could act without waiting to feel like it?

The authors draw on ACT principles to show readers how to recognise unhelpful thought patterns, make room for uncomfortable emotions and take action based on what matters to them – rather than allowing fear, perfectionism or avoidance to call the shots.

Although the book uses writing and creative work as its starting point, its central message extends far beyond the creative process. It is about the very human tendency to wait for the “right” feeling before doing something difficult, important or meaningful.

For anyone caught in a cycle of procrastination, perfectionism, overthinking or avoidance, the message is reassuring: you don’t need to feel confident before you act. You don’t need to feel motivated before you begin. And you don’t need to eliminate discomfort to move forward.

Insightful, honest and often funny, Your Writer’s Block Is Bullsh*t, out 29 September, is ultimately a guide to doing meaningful things in the presence of the thoughts and feelings that tell us we can’t.

Because motivation might feel good – but it doesn’t have to be the starting point.

You don’t have to wait until you feel ready. You just have to start.

 

Contact details:

To request an interview, review copy, extract, or additional information, please contact:
Jennifer Kean, Publicist
E: [email protected]
M: 0413 711 389