You’re Not Stuck, You’re Just Committed to Your Excuses
Convert can’t-do to can-do
You’re not stuck. You’re just committed to certain patterns of behavior because they helped you in the past.
Now those behaviors have become more harmful than helpful.
The words echo a truth we often ignore: Change the formula to get a different result.
Don Wilder once remarked,
“Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.”
We nod in agreement, yet, here we are, often constructing our own abode of stagnation.
Let’s break it down, shall we? Our minds, ingenious in their complexity, can become our own saboteurs.
It begins with a thought. A tiny, seemingly innocuous thought that whispers, “You can’t.” And too often, we listen.
That thought gains friends; it builds an army. Suddenly, you’re not just thinking you can’t. You’re believing it.
You’re the architect of this army.
Your own thoughts, your own excuses, have built up this legion that stands in the way of your success.
The realization is as stark as it is empowering.
Albert Einstein said it best,
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Your excuses, once survival tactics are now barriers. They no longer serve you, but enslave you.
The task ahead, is it really insurmountable? Or is it the veil of doubt you’ve draped it with that distorts your view?
We’ve been conditioned to believe the lies we tell ourselves.
“He who excuses himself, accuses himself.”
Every excuse is an accusation against your potential and your capability.
You might feel anchored, weighed down by the chains of your own making.
But here’s the beautiful, liberating truth: you hold the key to those locks.
You always have.
Now, consider this moment. Yes, right now, as your eyes traverse these sentences.
A fork in the road. One path leads to the same old story, the other? A journey towards something greater.
Choose to read on, to engage, to commit, and watch as the path bends towards growth, towards potential.
You are rewriting your story with every choice you make.
We are creatures of change. We can’t halt it, can’t deny it. But we can direct it.
Like a potter with clay, shaping with intent, we can mold our lives with the decisions we make.
The commitment to break free from excuses doesn’t require a parade or a declaration.
It starts quietly, within you.
Clarity is your ally. You must see where you are before you can plot where you’re going.
Scribble it down. Not next week. Not tomorrow. Today. This very second.
As you do, watch the excuses begin to crumble, their power waning, your vision clearing.
You’ll feel it, that internal shift, as you move from passenger to pilot.
Excuses are but whispers from a past self.
A self that didn’t know the strength you possess, the heights you can reach.
In the words of George Bernard Shaw,
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”
So, let’s make them. Together.
The psychology of excuses
Let’s wade into the maze of our minds.
The “why” behind every “I can’t” and “later.”
Picture this. An opportunity or a task knocks. The heart says, “Let’s do this!” But the mind, oh, the mind has other plans.
Enter the excuses. A psychological shield. A comfort blanket, woven with threads of rationale.
Elizabeth Scott, M.S., penned a thought,
“Stress management begins with stress reduction.”
Reducing stress often starts with saying ‘no.’ And thus, excuses are born.
They’re clever, these excuses. Masquerading as logical, as self-care, even as wisdom.
Ever heard this one? — “I work better under pressure.”
A study says otherwise. Dr. John Perry, author of The Art of Procrastination, debunks it.
We think we work better under pressure. What we’re really doing is limiting the time we have to work on it.
A clever trick of the mind, but a costly one.
Excuses are rooted in fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, and often, fear of change.
Viktor E. Frankl, a man who understood human psychology deeply, once said,
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
It’s a confrontation. With the mirror. With the self.
But, why do we give in to excuses?
Science has a slice of the answer. An experiment or two have shed light on this behavior.
Take the work of Dr. Carol Tavris, for instance. It points to cognitive dissonance.
We make excuses to align our actions with our self-image. To maintain the narrative that we are competent, smart, and always right.
It’s soothing, to believe our own stories.
But here’s the twist. Our brains, they don’t just forget. They nag. They remind.
It’s a loop. An endless, winding road of justification and self-preservation.
Is it familiar? This circle of excuses, of delaying, and the quiet guilt that follows? Remember, every excuse is a choice. Not overt, but it’s there.
Each one is a brick. And brick by brick, a wall emerges.
The wall between who we are and who we aspire to be.
Time to change the narrative. To understand the ‘why’ behind our excuses.
It’s not about controlling our feelings but managing our reactions to them.
Start with one. One excuse. Challenge it. Lean into the discomfort. It’s not an enemy but a beacon.
A signal that you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. And, it’s there, just beyond that wall, where growth blooms.
Pin that excuse on your wall. Not as a reminder of failure but as a challenge.
A personal crusade. To become an action-taker, a barrier-breaker, a maker of moments. Experts suggest taking that first step shatters inertia.
Once in motion, momentum carries you forward.
Before long, you’ll see. The wall you built? It’s just a stepping stone.
Learning, adapting, and overcoming, that’s the journey.
It’s not about completing tasks but mastering the self.
And within that mastery lies the secret to a life lived fully.
Not a sprint, but a marathon. A daily commitment to becoming the person you choose to be.
Laziness is a misnomer. What you face is deeper, and infinitely more surmountable.
Wait…
- Could it be that our excuses are mood’s accomplices?
- Could a simple mood swing be the puppeteer of procrastination?
Bad moods are stealthy. They don’t knock; they overturn the applecart of our productivity.
Emotions are nuanced. They signal that something within seeks attention.
Socrates believed life required examination. Our moods demand the same.
At Carleton University, researchers found procrastination might be our flawed way to cope.
To regulate emotions. To keep the storm at bay.
So we stall, not because the task is daunting, but to shield ourselves from the emotional tempest.
Our brains prefer immediate comfort over future rewards.
In a sour mood, steering towards productivity can feel like driving in the fog. Jonatan Mårtensson offers wisdom,
“Feelings are like waves; we can’t stop them, but we can choose which one to surf.”
Embrace this power of choice.
Recognizing our moods’ role in making excuses is an illuminating moment.
Don’t let doubt creep in
It’s almost a whisper, that insidious voice of doubt that can cool the warmest of passions.
It slithers into the cracks of uncertainty and expands, clouding judgment and dimming the brightness of our aspirations.
Consider the research by Dr. Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson. They suggest there’s a curve to our performance in relation to stress.
A moderate amount of it and we’re golden, tipping into doubt and it’s a plummet down the rabbit hole.
But why do we doubt? It’s our brain’s risk assessment kicking in.
In the delicate dance between success and failure, our mind weighs every step. Yet, when doubt takes the lead, the rhythm is lost.
Mark Twain once quipped,
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”
Doubt is fear’s close cousin, lurking in the shadows of our courage.
The aftermath of doubt is hesitation, a pause that can last indefinitely.
A Harvard study on decision-making showed that we’re wired to overestimate risk and underestimate our ability to handle it. That’s doubt, planting seeds of over-caution.
It’s the gap between ‘I think I can’ and ‘I know I can’. And in that gap, whole dreams can tumble down.
But here’s the thing: Doubt can be quieted.
It’s not an impenetrable fortress. It’s a mirage, dispersed by the light of focus and the clarity of purpose.
Steve Jobs, a man who walked through valleys of failures to stand upon peaks of innovations, once said,
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
Let’s unpack that.
Your ‘inner voice’ is where conviction resides, and conviction is kryptonite to doubt.
So, write it down. Your goal. That mountain you’re climbing. Not with the ink of fear, but with the pen of persistence.
Face the doubt. Then walk right through it.
Think of it as a paper wall, intimidating only till you take the first step.
Quoting Vincent Van Gogh,
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”
This isn’t just about overcoming doubt.
It’s about recognizing its noise, and then turning up the volume of action so loud that it drowns out the whispers of fear.
Remember, every masterpiece began with a single, unsure brushstroke.
But the painter persisted, stroke after stroke, until the doubt was painted over, and the vision took form.
So, what’s your masterpiece?
Take your hesitation and mold it. Forge it into the steely resolve of someone who sees doubt not as a barrier, but as the challenge to rise above.
Now, don’t just nod along. Engage. Reflect on where doubt has held you back and crack open the door to what lies beyond it.
There’s a brilliant day ahead.
One where doubt is but a shadow behind us, elongated by the light of our achievements.
Choose to step into that light.
Make the commitment
In the golden words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
“At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assist you.”
Commitment is the bridge between dreaming and doing.
But let’s be honest, commitment is no small feat. It’s the steadfast companion to the first steps we discussed earlier.
Commitment is making a pact — with yourself, with your work, with your goals.
It’s W.H. Murray’s “beginning,” where he famously said,
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”
You might have the vision. You’ve charted the journey in “Setting Your Sights.” Now, it’s time to promise to take that vision seriously.
Imagine standing at the base of a mountain. Daunting, isn’t it?
But remember, it’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves, as Edmund Hillary put it.
Making the commitment is acknowledging that you’re ready to face the mountain.
It’s waking up each day, choosing your mountain, and starting the climb.
You’ll face challenges, sure. As Thomas Paine wrote,
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow.”
This strength comes from commitment.
Think of commitment not as an anchor but as wings. It’s what will carry you over the hurdles and challenges.
Now, pause. Breathe. Commit.
There’s a secret ingredient here:
- Write it down.
- Make it real.
- Make it tangible.
Writing is powerful. As E.M. Forster said,
“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”
Witness the transformation as a thought becomes a promise. It’s the spark that sets off a chain reaction.
You’re not just saying you’ll do something. You’re building the foundation for action. Each committed thought is a brick in the edifice of your achievements.
This is where the mundane becomes majestic. Where the routine becomes a ritual.
Commitment is the fuel for the long haul. It’s the repeated affirmation that says, “Yes, I am still here. Yes, I am still going.”
As Goethe said,
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can begin it; boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
So, make the commitment. Boldly. Wholeheartedly. Watch as the universe aligns, the mountain becomes a molehill, and your dreams take flight.
Commitment is the act of binding yourself to a path, a decision that turns ‘I might’ into ‘I will.’
And with that will, every day, you’re crafting the person you’re becoming.
The narrative of your life unfolds with each commitment kept.
It’s more than a decision. It’s a defining moment.
Make the commitment. It’s the dawn of your doing.
Here’s what I did, doing, and will do
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C.S. Lewis
Every tale of growth begins with a single step taken, much like the journey of a thousand miles Lao Tzu spoke of.
What I did
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.
I acknowledged the comfort zone I was lounging in was lined with excuses.
It was a tough realization, but it sparked a transformation.
Reflecting on my journey, I realize the truth in these words.
- I embraced my mistakes and saw them as stepping stones.
- I listened more than I spoke, finding wisdom in the quiet moments.
- I started each day with intention, focusing on what I could control.
I’ve found power in the daily ritual of reflection, understanding that growth often comes from the soil of past experiences.
My missteps weren’t failures but lessons that shaped my current resolve.
The articles I wrote, and the challenges I faced, each were a brushstroke in the bigger picture of my personal and professional development.
TIP: Start a reflection journal. Each night, jot down three things that happened and what they taught you.
What I’m doing
Steve Jobs once declared,
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
That passion fuels my current endeavors.
Every day, I commit to one action that scares me, no matter how small.
It’s a daily exercise in bravery and a workout for my willpower.
- I’m scaling the reach of my agency, touching more lives with words that resonate.
- With every article amassing hundreds of thousands of reads, I refine my ability to craft impactful narratives.
- Fostering community, I’m not just writing but engaging, turning readers into relationships.
- Beyond articles, I’m extending my hand, offering coaching services for those seeking to delve deeper.
In the thick of it all, I am a gardener tending to the present, watering the seeds of my labor with dedication.
With every article, tweet, and project, I am more than a writer and entrepreneur; I am a storyteller weaving a tapestry of words that resonate and connect.
What I’ll do
As Abraham Lincoln said,
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
With eyes set on the horizon, I am mapping out my path.
I have made a pact to revisit and renew my goals regularly.I will not let them gather dust on a shelf.
They are living, breathing aspirations that deserve attention.
- I will embrace innovative ideas and adapt them to my content.
- I will engage more deeply with community feedback to grow and improve.
- I will challenge myself to tackle topics that push me out of my comfort zone.
Looking ahead, I am not just drafting a plan but constructing a blueprint for success.
The future holds the promise of uncharted territory in the vast landscape of content writing, and I am ready to explore and conquer.
Practice for you: Draft a personal mission statement for your future endeavors. Let this be your guiding star when new opportunities or challenges arise.
Bottom line:
Think of excuses as fog on life’s highway.
Now, imagine the formula to clear it:
(Identify Excuse + Challenge It) x Daily Practice = Path to Clarity.
Just as Henry Ford said,
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t — you’re right.”
Our beliefs pave our roads.
Link your last action to the next; momentum will grow, like a snowball down a hill. As Lao Tzu once advised, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Scribble down your excuse. Pin it up. Not as a barrier, but as the first domino to fall.
Dare to act, and your narrative shifts. From a tale of stagnation to one of growth.
As you stand at today’s crossroads, remember: action is the golden key. Will you turn it?
Take the wheel. Chart your course. For, as Goethe said, boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
And when the sun sets, may you look back at a trail of footsteps, not excuses.
Now, close this tab. Your next chapter awaits.
What will it read?
The choice, as always, is yours.
-Zohvib
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