Why do projects get stuck? Why is progress too slow?

Sometimes the answer might be complicated and nuanced, but in many cases, it’s simple. Progress often comes down to what gets worked on consistently.

Every morning after going on a run I eat some yogurt for breakfast. Nuts are one of my go-to yogurt toppings. I have a can of almonds that’s nine months old. In that same time, I’ve gone through four cans of peanuts.

The progress toward finishing the almonds isn’t stuck because they are harder to eat, or I don’t know how, need somebody’s help, or they cost more. In fact they’re the easiest choice already because I own them and don’t have to buy anything.

Meanwhile, I got through four cans of peanuts not because I’ve dedicated a lot of time, skill, or effort to the task. I only have a few a day so it’s hardly like I’m pushing to finish them quickly.

It’s simply that I prefer their flavor, so make a little progress consistently. Over time the difference between a tiny bit of daily action and no action adds up.

For everything you do that’s either stuck or progressing slower than you’d like, before looking for any complicated reason, it’s worth applying the peanut test. Are you working on it consistently?

If you are working consistently and it’s still truly stuck, you can now look into the less obvious causes.

But if the answer is that it isn’t being worked on, you’ve found a proverbial can of almonds. The reasons and justifications for not working on it are a different topic. They may be logical or they may be empty excuses. Either way, they don’t change the mechanical fact that it isn’t progressing because it isn’t being worked on.