I don’t have the time, I don’t know how to do it, this might not work, I feel tired at that time, I can’t be healthy, working out doesn’t work, I don’t have the time to write, I don’t have the motivation….
Did you ever catch yourself making up excuses like those before? Or perhaps you tried to explain or comfort yourself for the reason that why something didn’t work out for you.
My answer is, yes, I have! I’m not shy to admit that I have my fair share of excuses. And when I mean my fair share, I said a whole lot of excuses.
But, you know what?
Excuses can be bad and also can be good at the same time.
Living a life of excuses can have far-reaching consequences in your life. It can limit your growth and potential, lower your self-esteem, and as time passes by, you will regret that you did nothing at all.
I remembered so many things that I’ve regretted not doing and the many excuses I gave myself for not doing those. I did, however, learn my lesson.
You know what? Excuses aren’t that bad if you’re going to do something about it. Remember, there is a silver lining in everything.
I like to believe that everything happens for a reason.
In many ways, excuses are good because these will allow you to find out what is the cause of the problem. You’re able to see why you’re giving yourself these excuses.
Instead of comforting yourself, ask yourself ‘Why am I making up these excuses?’ and write down ‘What will happen if I continue to give myself the same excuses?’
To get you started here are some possible reasons why you’re giving yourself those excuses.
- You lack the passion
- You’re bad at allocating time
- You spend too much time on unnecessary stuff
- You lack confidence
- You’re afraid of failure
- You’re scared of changes
- Your goals are too small
For me, time had always been the primary factor! I was in the ‘i am busy trap.’ I was constantly giving the excuse that I didn’t have enough time.
As it turns out, I was pretty bad at allocating my time.
Sometimes I take on so many projects I felt crazy packed. After that, I realize that I find it tough to get things done. At the end of the day, only a small percentage of my work were done.
Early this year, I told myself that I am not going to give an excuse anymore. And with this, I worked to improve my time allocation.
I mean we always have time. Everyone on earth has 168 hours throughout the week. Why is it that some people are more productive than others?
I wrote down what would happen if I continued being that way.
I checked how and where I was spending my time.
As it turns out, I prioritized my time poorly doing less important things in my life. I was reading too many articles on Facebook; I was always distracted by many of the articles I see… therefore I used a plugin to delete my newsfeed.
I learned that after I had deleted my newsfeed, work was more productive for me. I wasn’t constantly distracted by news that promises to ‘blow my mind away.’
My girlfriend and friends think that I am pretty extreme, but it works.
I also learned to improve my time management.
- I learned that planning my day in advance will help me to get better focus.
- I learned to say NO to projects that takes up too much time.
- I learned not to constantly check my emails.
- I learned to reward myself after finishing my work.
- I learned to have a to-do list and finish them.
Who knew that all of these could happen if I were not making many excuses for not having enough time?
Summing up.
I learned that it’s okay to make excuses every once in a while if you’re going to take responsibility for those excuses. It’s all about changing your mindset.
If you find yourself giving the same excuse all the time, perhaps it’s time for you to know the cause, why you’re not working on it and solving it. Remember, if you have an excuse, chances are someone else have the same excuse yet, how are they doing it better?
Excuses is simply an excuse if you let it be.
In the end, it is up to you to choose your happiness, your passions, and your truth.
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