“I don’t know how.”
“It probably wouldn’t have worked anyways.”
“I’m too busy.”
How often do you catch yourself making excuses.
Instead of doing something, you come up with
ways to explain your inaction. Excuse-makers
are usually seen as weak, lazy or cowardly.
I believe this is an unfair generalization.
We all make excuses once in a while. Sometimes
we make excuses and other times we stop
rationalizing and take action. I’m sure most of us
can remember times when we procrastinated
and wasted days before starting a project. I’m
also sure most of us can remember times we
started immediately, and finished ahead of
schedule.
The differences between these two cases could
be described as a difference of willpower. When
you procrastinated, you lacked willpower. But
that isn’t helpful. If willpower is outside your
direct control, then claiming willpower as a
solution isn’t going to work.
Instead, I believe that the answer to stop making
excuses lies has two steps:
Organizing your priorities.
Breaking large, uncomfortable steps into
manageable pieces.
Organizing Your Priorities
What’s more important to you right now?
Expanding your finances? Succeeding
academically? Improving the quality of your
relationships? Excuse making is the result of
conflicting priorities. When you don’t have a
system for making decisions, the tendency is to
just go with whatever feels best in the moment.
You can clear this up by defining what your
priorities are. The purpose is to aid when one
event conflicts with another. If you have to
decide between working on a school project or
going on a date, you need to look at your
priorities. Which ranks higher? Relationships or
academic success.
Priorities clears up the need for excuse making,
since it simplifies decisions with conflicting
values.
With priorities it’s important to define your
major focus and minor focuses. A major focus
should get the benefit of any extra attention you
have to devote to it. Minor focuses shouldn’t be
abandoned, but your goal is to put them on
autopilot so most your mental energies are
devoted to your major focus.
To give an example, my major focus right now is
this business. Earlier this year I realized that if I
put a concentrated effort, I could tip the slide to
where this business could support me full-time.
I’m close to there now, but not quite over the
line.
My minor focuses are my health, relationships,
social life, Toastmasters and school. These minor
focuses continue to be worked on while I
improve my income. But most my mental
attention is going into ways I can expand this
website and offer more value.
Splitting your priorities into a single major focus
and several minor focuses makes it far harder to
put out excuses. Whenever a conflict arises
where I would normally offer an excuse, I can
simply think of my priorities. When priorities
are clear, it is difficult to justify departing from
them.
Breaking Down Discomfort
Mixed-up priorities are only a part of excuse-
making. Unwillingness to step into
uncomfortable situations is another. Success in
almost any effort requires taking risks and facing
failure. Becoming a great public speaker
requires you get up in front of a big audience
and possibly deliver a terrible speech.
The problem is when your priorities dictate you
need to take a big step, and you can’t do it. This
could mean wanting to improve your business,
but not being willing to make cold calls or
marketing your product.
What results is excuse-making. You find easier
tasks to do and excuse your procrastination.
Rationalize away the feeling that you don’t feel
comfortable going forward.
The fix here is to break down uncomfortable
steps. Laziness is just another manifestation of
fear. So if you can’t take the next step, break it
into smaller parts you can handle. If you can’t
get up on stage to speak, try delivering your
speech in front of a few friends. If you can’t
make a cold call, try calling someone you
already know.
Sometimes, however, a step can’t be broken
down. You either need to face it entirely or not
at all. In these situations you need to get
leverage on yourself. Give a friend $100 of yours
to hold onto until you follow through. Make a
public commitment. Any of these steps will
work.
The next time you catch yourself making an
excuse, ask yourself? Does this fit within my
priorities? If it doesn’t and you still find yourself
making excuses ask yourself if there is any way
you could push yourself through the next step.
Reference:
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/22/how-to-stop-making-excuses/
“It probably wouldn’t have worked anyways.”
“I’m too busy.”
How often do you catch yourself making excuses.
Instead of doing something, you come up with
ways to explain your inaction. Excuse-makers
are usually seen as weak, lazy or cowardly.
I believe this is an unfair generalization.
We all make excuses once in a while. Sometimes
we make excuses and other times we stop
rationalizing and take action. I’m sure most of us
can remember times when we procrastinated
and wasted days before starting a project. I’m
also sure most of us can remember times we
started immediately, and finished ahead of
schedule.
The differences between these two cases could
be described as a difference of willpower. When
you procrastinated, you lacked willpower. But
that isn’t helpful. If willpower is outside your
direct control, then claiming willpower as a
solution isn’t going to work.
Instead, I believe that the answer to stop making
excuses lies has two steps:
Organizing your priorities.
Breaking large, uncomfortable steps into
manageable pieces.
Organizing Your Priorities
What’s more important to you right now?
Expanding your finances? Succeeding
academically? Improving the quality of your
relationships? Excuse making is the result of
conflicting priorities. When you don’t have a
system for making decisions, the tendency is to
just go with whatever feels best in the moment.
You can clear this up by defining what your
priorities are. The purpose is to aid when one
event conflicts with another. If you have to
decide between working on a school project or
going on a date, you need to look at your
priorities. Which ranks higher? Relationships or
academic success.
Priorities clears up the need for excuse making,
since it simplifies decisions with conflicting
values.
With priorities it’s important to define your
major focus and minor focuses. A major focus
should get the benefit of any extra attention you
have to devote to it. Minor focuses shouldn’t be
abandoned, but your goal is to put them on
autopilot so most your mental energies are
devoted to your major focus.
To give an example, my major focus right now is
this business. Earlier this year I realized that if I
put a concentrated effort, I could tip the slide to
where this business could support me full-time.
I’m close to there now, but not quite over the
line.
My minor focuses are my health, relationships,
social life, Toastmasters and school. These minor
focuses continue to be worked on while I
improve my income. But most my mental
attention is going into ways I can expand this
website and offer more value.
Splitting your priorities into a single major focus
and several minor focuses makes it far harder to
put out excuses. Whenever a conflict arises
where I would normally offer an excuse, I can
simply think of my priorities. When priorities
are clear, it is difficult to justify departing from
them.
Breaking Down Discomfort
Mixed-up priorities are only a part of excuse-
making. Unwillingness to step into
uncomfortable situations is another. Success in
almost any effort requires taking risks and facing
failure. Becoming a great public speaker
requires you get up in front of a big audience
and possibly deliver a terrible speech.
The problem is when your priorities dictate you
need to take a big step, and you can’t do it. This
could mean wanting to improve your business,
but not being willing to make cold calls or
marketing your product.
What results is excuse-making. You find easier
tasks to do and excuse your procrastination.
Rationalize away the feeling that you don’t feel
comfortable going forward.
The fix here is to break down uncomfortable
steps. Laziness is just another manifestation of
fear. So if you can’t take the next step, break it
into smaller parts you can handle. If you can’t
get up on stage to speak, try delivering your
speech in front of a few friends. If you can’t
make a cold call, try calling someone you
already know.
Sometimes, however, a step can’t be broken
down. You either need to face it entirely or not
at all. In these situations you need to get
leverage on yourself. Give a friend $100 of yours
to hold onto until you follow through. Make a
public commitment. Any of these steps will
work.
The next time you catch yourself making an
excuse, ask yourself? Does this fit within my
priorities? If it doesn’t and you still find yourself
making excuses ask yourself if there is any way
you could push yourself through the next step.
Reference:
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/11/22/how-to-stop-making-excuses/
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