IF NOT YOU THEN WHO? IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN?

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Taking action implies that something may begin to change, which your ego does not appreciate. It urges you to stick to what you're familiar with and comfortable with. Consider the possibility that you're just dealing with some anxiety.

Thank fear for trying to keep you safe when it appears, and then act nonetheless. Even if it is the tiniest stride forward, it will have an impact.

Even if you know what to do, you won't be able to take action unless the processes listed below are followed.

Believe in the true action or perceive the true action.
Remove any and all inconsistencies between your conscious and subconscious minds.
Instill the concept in your subconscious mind.
When your subconscious mind accepts an idea or a conviction, it uses its wisdom and limitless talents to bring your wish to fruition.

Our brains have evolved to be extremely efficient at conserving energy and adjusting to new situations. It's incredibly simple to "go with the flow" when things are going well. Change is difficult. Even changing one small habit about ourselves can need a significant lifestyle change. The two most effective strategies to overcome this are to become intensely aware of when we're procrastinating and to become very specific with our objectives.

It's simple for your brain to justify things like "today had a difficult day at work, I'm too stressed to go work out," or "I failed my test today, I'm not feeling like studying." When you take a step back and look at how often your brain does this, you'll be surprised. For some, it's hundreds, if not thousands, of times per month.

1 day becomes 2, 2 becomes a week, and before you know it, you've come to a complete stop. When you're already moving, it's much easier to do anything or form a habit. So if you can train yourself to say "yes, work was awful, so maybe I'll just do a light day at the gym," by the time you actually get there and start working out, it will be much easier to stick with it, and you'll be pleased you didn't give up.

Second, I'd like to be more specific. "I want to be successful," it's easy to say, but what does that even mean? What does it mean to you to be successful? Is it fame or status that matters? Wealth? Or simply executing a job that you are proud of? Setting lofty and ambiguous objectives is a formula for catastrophe. Instead, the more clear (and realistic) your objectives are, the better.
That's the difference between "I want to succeed" and "I'm going to nursing school at X institution next year and I'm going to start saving this amount of money every month to pay for tuition."

Knowing what to do and being able to accomplish it are two different things. Knowing what a professional athlete's training program looks like, for example, has nothing to do with being able to get to the gym at 5 a.m. every day, the dedication and perseverance required to train for hours on end, the motivation required to overcome pain, minor injuries, feelings of doubt, uncertainty, and inadequacy. All of these characteristics are essential in order to be able to do what one knows how to do.

It's the same in every other circumstance. There is trauma, fear, avoidance, a lack of competence required to do what has to be done, a lack of discipline, and a refusal to make the necessary changes in one's life that will accompany doing this thing - changes in habits, food, daily schedule, and so on. There is confrontation, and there is uncertainty. There is a hesitancy to leave one's comfort zone. Staying in one's comfort zone also makes it difficult to motivate oneself to make changes.

A lot of things stand in the way of knowing what to do and really doing it. All of this must be brought into the light and addressed before action can be taken.There's also the potential that you don't actually want to do what you're thinking of doing, that it's just a fun concept, and that the pleasure you get from pondering it is all you really need. It's the kind of "one day I'll be a writer" ideal that never comes true, but in the meantime, one might fantasize about how wonderful it would be to be wealthy and famous. Those fantasies are frequently sufficient.