Unmasking the Hidden Dangers of Faking Action in Your Career

Here’s a harsh reality: achieving great things often requires enduring significant struggle. Just like a boxer can’t succeed without taking hits, you can’t expect to excel without facing discomfort.

The champion in the ring typically endures far more than the one who gives up early. To truly succeed, you must learn to embrace discomfort, but your brain has a natural tendency to resist this. It seeks to shield you from stress and pursue comfort, which can lead to a fear of being labeled as lazy.

So how do you sidestep the discomfort of struggle while also avoiding the guilt of inaction? The answer lies in a deceptive trick: you convince yourself that you’re making progress when, in fact, you’re not.

What Is Fake Action, and What Does It Look Like?

The idea of "fake action" originates from M. J. DeMarco in his celebrated work, Unscripted:

> “Action-faking (as opposed to ‘action taking’) is when you take solitary and/or uncommitted action that is NOT part of a larger process. Instead, you’re acting not to create real change but to ‘feel good’ by momentarily fooling yourself about progress.”

So, what does this look like in practice? As millionaire YouTuber James Jani describes:

> “It’s that odd impulse to tidy your room when an important project is due. It’s setting up a schedule and feeling accomplished just for completing that. It’s reading about entrepreneurship without ever starting a business. It’s ordering business cards instead of making that vital sales call.”

Here are three defining characteristics of fake action:

Lacks a defined plan or purpose: These actions are insignificant both short- and long-term.
Creates an illusion of progress: The primary aim of fake actions is to make you feel like you’re moving forward.
A more insidious form of procrastination: You believe you’re engaged in meaningful work when you’re not.

Initially, this behavior might not seem harmful, but over time it can trap you in mediocrity. You may not have recognized action faking until now, yet it’s likely been a part of your professional life all along.

Recognizing Six Signs of Secretly Faking Action

Despite having laid out the main patterns, it can be challenging to identify when you're engaging in fake action. This denial can undermine your career progression without your awareness, and by the time you realize it, it may be too late. Here are some early warning signs to help you avoid this pitfall.

Sign #1: An Addiction to Instant Gratification

We often find ourselves desperate for money, leading us to settle for the easiest and most immediate rewards, even if they’re not beneficial. While it may feel secure to pursue small gains, this mindset limits your potential.

For instance, writing $5 articles might seem more rewarding than building your blog and developing a unique brand identity. However, in doing so, you sacrifice:

Sustainability
Scalability

Sign #2: Underestimating the Value of Goal Setting

For many, merely landing a job is the end goal. Yet, once they achieve it, they often lack direction. This can lead to stagnation, as they repeat the same tasks for years, becoming resentful of those who achieve more.

Without clearly defined, actionable goals, you risk falling into this trap.

Sign #3: Talking Yourself into Progress

Most individuals, regardless of their success levels, often harbor inflated egos. This tendency can lead you to prioritize image over action.

As Ryan Holiday notes in Ego Is the Enemy:

> “It’s tempting for talk and hype to replace real action.”

He illustrates this through the example of author Emily Gould, who was too distracted by social media to focus on her writing, ultimately costing her valuable time.

If you’re engaging in similar behaviors without the cushion of a lucrative contract, the consequences could be far more severe.

Sign #4: Avoiding Challenges

If your tasks are too easy, anyone can perform them. True value comes from tackling complex problems. Remember, your earnings are more closely related to the value you provide than simply the effort you exert.

To enhance your perceived worth, you need to step out of your comfort zone and embrace challenges.

Sign #5: Fear of Initial Failures

A fear of failure can either prevent you from taking essential risks or cause you to abandon projects too soon.

Quitting isn’t inherently negative; knowing when to quit can actually help you focus on more productive endeavors. However, quitting too frequently indicates a deeper issue.

Significant accomplishments rarely come without setbacks. Learning and evolving through these failures is crucial for growth, as James Clear emphasizes:

> “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”

Sign #6: Discomfort with Others’ Success

The final sign is perhaps the most straightforward. Don’t confuse envy with healthy competition or dislike.

In healthy rivalries, you recognize others’ strengths while also acknowledging your own. Conversely, envy stems from feeling threatened by someone else's success.

As noted by Robert L. Leahy Ph.D.:

> “You enjoy hearing about successful people getting divorced, arrested, or even having accidents. Schadenfreude is tempting because, if the other person fails, we feel justified in our own inactions.”

If you’re genuinely pursuing your goals, the success of others should inspire rather than intimidate you.

While external factors may influence your journey, the only real control you have is over your own efforts. Allowing comfort and delusions to take precedence means the blame rests solely on you.