gerade vorhaben/dabei sein/ drauf und dran sein, etwas zu tun.

"I had two hours' talk this afternoon with Sasun Effendi about the Turkish situation and things in general; incidentally I've stopped him from resigning which he was within an ace of doing because the meetings of the present unwieldy Council are so preposterous."

from: http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/letters/l1408.htm