Action Bias: Why Planning Beats Panic Every Time.

The Cost of Acting Too Soon: Why Planning Beats Panic Every Time.

What do HS2, California Rail, and your business have in common—and how do you fix it?

Think Slow, Act Fast — The Antidote to Action Bias.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in business is this: the smartest people don’t act quickly — they think clearly first. As Dan Gardner and other behavioural experts have pointed out, great decision-makers “think slow and act fast.” They take the time to plan properly, assess risk, define their goals, and then move decisively. That’s not hesitation. That’s discipline.

Unfortunately, most of us aren’t wired that way. We fall into what psychologists call action bias — the irresistible urge to do something, anything, just to feel like we’re making progress. I see it all the time in business: launching without a plan, spending without a strategy, hiring without clear roles. And we tell ourselves we’re being proactive. But often, we’re just being reactive, and expensive mistakes follow.

You don’t need to look far for high-profile examples. Take HS2 in the UK or the California High-Speed Rail project — two mega-initiatives that ran into massive delays and cost overruns. Why? Because they leapt into action before the full plan was baked. The result? Years lost, billions wasted, and public confidence destroyed.

But this isn’t just a problem for governments. Small business owners make the same mistake every day, on a smaller but equally painful scale.

That’s exactly why I built the 365/90 Planning Method — to help you pause, think slowly, and then act fast. It gives you structure. It forces clarity. And it protects you from the trap of mistaking movement for progress.

In this blog, I’m going to show you exactly how action bias plays out, what it’s costing you, and how 365/90 can help you move faster by planning smarter.

1: The Cost of Acting Without Thinking. When Fast Starts Become Expensive Delays.

I’ve learned the hard way — and seen it play out in businesses big and small — that rushing into action without a clear plan rarely leads where you want it to. It feels good in the moment. You look busy. Things are moving. But beneath the surface, you’re building on shaky ground.

One of the clearest examples is HS2, the UK’s high-speed rail project. What started as an ambitious infrastructure plan to better connect the North and South has turned into a cautionary tale. Originally budgeted at around £33 billion, it’s now ballooned past £100 billion, with key sections scrapped, delivery timelines blown, and public trust badly damaged.

Why? Because the project moved ahead before the full picture was clear. Political pressure demanded progress. Decisions were made before the details were nailed down. And once momentum kicks in, it’s hard to slow down and admit you’re off course.

The same thing happened in the California High-Speed Rail project. It was launched with promises of linking major cities (Los Angeles and San Francisco) efficiently and affordably. But underdeveloped plans, underestimated complexity, and poor stakeholder alignment led to spiralling costs, delays, and legal battles. Billions have been spent, and still—years later—the tracks don’t connect the way they were supposed to.

Now, these are big public projects, but the same dynamic shows up in smaller businesses every day. A rushed product launch. A hiring decision made on instinct. A marketing campaign thrown together without clear messaging or targets. You end up spending time, money, and energy fixing problems you could’ve avoided with a better plan.

That’s what action bias costs you: not just money, but momentum. You burn resources reacting to issues instead of preventing them. And you lose confidence — both your own and your team’s.

In my experience, slowing down at the start saves you ten times the effort later on. And that’s where the 365/90 approach shines: it gives you the structure to stop, think, and plan — so when it’s time to act, you’re not guessing. You’re executing with confidence.

2: The Illusion of Progress. Busy ≠ Productive.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after years of working with business owners, it’s this: we’re addicted to the feeling of progress, even when we’re not actually making any. Activity gives us a dopamine hit. It makes us feel in control. But not all movement is forward motion.

Action bias feeds that addiction. It whispers, “At least you’re doing something.” But being busy isn’t the same as being effective. I’ve watched businesses bury themselves in tasks—social media posts, shiny tech tools, new hires—without ever asking the big questions:

• • What are we actually trying to achieve?
  • Is this the right thing to be working on?
  • Does this align with our plan?

I’ve done it myself. I’ve launched campaigns before the offer was right. I’ve hired people before I had a proper onboarding process. I’ve pushed forward on projects just because stopping would feel like failure. And each time, it cost me time and money I didn’t need to lose.

This is why I say that motion without direction is just movement for movement’s sake. It looks good from the outside. You feel like a “real business owner.” But inside, you’re firefighting. You’re chasing outcomes with no roadmap. And when things start to unravel, the temptation is to double down on more action—more ads, more calls, more work—rather than taking a step back and asking, “Did we even plan this properly?”

That’s the illusion of progress: when effort replaces strategy. And it’s everywhere.

But here’s the good news: once you see it, you can fix it. That’s exactly what the 365/90 framework is designed to do. It forces you to stop and ask the right questions before you leap into action. It creates a rhythm of planning, doing, and reviewing that keeps you grounded in purpose, not just motion.

Because the goal isn’t to be busy. The goal is to move forward with clarity and confidence.

3: Planning as a Competitive Advantage.Slowing Down to Speed Up.

There’s a common belief in business that planning is a luxury. That if you’re a real entrepreneur, you move fast and figure it out as you go. But here’s what I’ve learned: the people who slow down long enough to plan properly are the ones who speed up when it matters most.

Planning isn’t hesitation. It’s precision. And nothing proves that better than the Empire State Building.

When construction began in 1930, the Empire State Building was the tallest building ever attempted. This wasn’t some seat-of-the-pants project. Every inch of it was 100% planned—on paper—before a single shovel hit the ground. Materials were ordered in advance. Logistics were mapped out. Teams knew exactly what they were doing before they started.

The result? It was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, during the Great Depression, no less. At a time when the world was crumbling economically, this project stood as a beacon of what happens when planning meets execution.

Compare that to modern megaprojects like HS2 or the California high-speed rail—chaotic, delayed, and billions over budget—largely because they were rushed into action without a fully baked plan.

But this isn’t just about skyscrapers or railways. The same lesson applies to your business. Rushing into product launches, marketing campaigns, or expansion plans without clear thinking is how you end up firefighting instead of growing.

That’s why I built the 365/90 Business Planning Framework. It gives you structure without the bureaucracy. You start with a 365-day goal, break it into 90-day sprints, and review every 30 days. You know what success looks like. You know what’s next. And just like the Empire State team, you’re building on paper before you build in reality.

When your competitors are reacting, you’re executing. When others are overwhelmed, you’re focused. That’s how planning becomes a competitive advantage. You don’t just move—you move with direction and purpose.

Here’s how it works:

• • You start with a clear annual goal—your 365-day objective. This anchors everything.
  • Then, you break it into 90-day sprints. Each quarter becomes a focused window to deliver real progress.
  • Within each sprint, you review progress every 30 days, make course corrections, and keep momentum.
  • You stay focused on what matters most—whether it’s growth, profitability, delivery, or stability.

It’s simple, lean, and powerful. No bloated business plans gathering dust. No wishful thinking. Just clarity, structure, and movement in the right direction.

And the best part? It’s flexible. Life changes. Markets shift. Plans evolve. 365/90 lets you adapt without losing the plot. You’re not stuck—you’re guided.

So when others are stuck in cycles of reactivity and firefighting, you’re executing with intent. That’s how planning becomes your edge. While others are “busy,” you’re building something that lasts.

4: Action Without Insight vs. Action With Intention. How to Take Smart Action.

One of the most important distinctions I’ve learned to make in business is the difference between reactive action and intentional action. On the surface, they can look identical—both involve doing something. But only one moves you closer to your goal. The other just burns energy.

I used to believe that taking fast action was the key to success. If something wasn’t working, I’d change it immediately. If results were slow, I’d double my efforts. I wore my responsiveness like a badge of honour. But in reality, I wasn’t being responsive—I was being reactive. I wasn’t solving problems—I was creating new ones.

The turning point came when I realised that action is only valuable when it’s backed by insight. You need to know why you’re doing something, what outcome you expect, and how you’ll measure progress. Without that, you’re guessing. And guesswork is expensive.

That’s why the 365/90 framework has been a game-changer—not just for me, but for every business owner I’ve worked with. It forces clarity before commitment. Before you start doing anything, you define:

• • What success looks like (your 365-day vision)
  • What matters most in the next 90 days
  • What actions are aligned with that focus
  • What risks do you need to anticipate
  • How you’ll track and review progress every 30 days

This is what I call thinking before doing. It doesn’t kill momentum—it fuels it. You waste less time, spend less money, and make decisions with confidence because they’re anchored in insight, not impulse.

When I see a business owner taking action without a clear plan, I don’t admire their hustle—I worry for them. Because I’ve been there. And I know that just because you’re moving doesn’t mean you’re going somewhere worthwhile.

Intentional action is different. It’s deliberate. It’s strategic. And it’s exactly what the 365/90 system is designed to help you deliver—fast, focused execution built on solid thinking.

5: How to Spot (and Stop) Action Bias. Before You Do It, Ask Why.

The hardest part about action bias is that you often don’t know you’re caught in it—until it’s too late. You feel like you’re doing the right thing. You’re taking initiative, making moves, “pushing forward.” But deep down, you’re just trying to avoid the discomfort of slowing down and thinking things through.

I’ve seen it play out so many times—both in my own businesses and in the clients I work with. A product launch gets rushed because “the market won’t wait.” A hire gets made because “we’re drowning in work.” A campaign gets funded because “we need to be seen doing something.” All red flags of action bias disguised as leadership.

So, how do you stop it? You start by recognising it.

Over the years, I’ve built a simple checklist I use any time I feel that itch to “just get going”:

1. Have I clearly defined the outcome I’m trying to achieve?
   If you don’t know what success looks like, how can you measure it—or even recognise it?
2. Do I understand the costs of getting this wrong?
   Time, money, energy, team morale—every decision has a price. Ignoring that is dangerous.
3. Is this action part of a plan, or just a reaction?
   Reactivity feels productive in the moment. Planning feels boring. But one is firefighting, the other is fireproofing.
4. What data, evidence, or insight is guiding this decision?
   “It feels right” is not a strategy. Insight-driven action always outperforms instinct-driven panic.
5. Have I taken the time to pause, think, and prioritise?
   Even 20 minutes of structured thinking can save you weeks of wasted effort.

This is exactly what 365/90 is built to do: it bakes in these questions, so you can’t skip them. It gives you a rhythm—plan, act, review—that catches action bias before it derails your momentum. It forces intention into your workflow and creates a filter between every idea and your time, your money, and your team’s energy.

You don’t need to stop being decisive. You just need to stop being impulsive.

Slowing down doesn’t mean standing still—it means stepping back far enough to see what actually matters.

Final Word: Plan First. Move Second. Win More.

If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s that thinking first isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Action bias is seductive. It makes us feel competent, in control, like we’re getting somewhere. But in reality, it’s one of the biggest reasons businesses fall short of their goals.

I’ve seen it in government megaprojects, in ambitious start-ups, and even in my own decisions. Every time I’ve skipped the planning phase, I’ve paid for it—sometimes in cash, sometimes in stress, often in wasted time.

But every time I’ve taken the time to pause, assess, and build a real plan, everything changes. The team aligns. The path becomes clear. Momentum builds. And we hit targets not just with speed, but with confidence.

That’s what the 365/90 Business Planning Method is all about. It’s not about creating a 60-page business plan that gathers dust. It’s about thinking slow and acting fast, just like the most successful businesses and historic projects. It’s about having a clear structure that turns ideas into outcomes and activity into results.

So if you find yourself stuck in that frantic, always-busy mode… stop. Take a breath. Ask the hard questions. Make a plan. Then act fast—because this time, you’ll know exactly where you’re going.