Confidence Comes From "Doing"

 I have written before about the idea that there are times when a person "overdoes", meaning that they try to use action to fill up their time and manage anxiety, rather than actively inquire into why they are doing something. However, I have just noticed the opposite tendency, and that is to ask too many "whys" before plunging into a project or a task. This begs the question, what is the difference between asking as a form of productive thinking and asking as a procrastination or avoidance strategy?
  I again recall the recent retreat, where Guo Yuan Fashi referred to the importance of being fully present in one's planning. Once the plan has been set, it can certainly be revised, but the commitment also entails wholehearted action. I am also thinking that sometimes the way to step forward is simply "step forward", even if the first step is going to be uncertain, shaky, or even out of step entirely. Sometimes in doing something, one is able to find unexpected clues and answers to the original question, "why bother to do this?"
   This actually turns out to be very interesting, because normally Western psychology has adopted a model of putting motivation before behavior rather than seeing them concurrently. It seems a common sense idea that in order to do something wholeheartedly and with success, one needs to first of all establish why they are doing it. But interestingly, I cannot think of too many examples in my life where my decision to do something lead to predicted results. This is because quite often the biggest decisions aren't really known until one goes ahead with them.  In this way, all I can do is continue to refine my understanding of the situation to keep seeing whether it matches with my original motivations, or if my motivations have changed at all. For this reason, sometimes motivation might even come after doing.