The granddaddy of all excuses is “I don’t have enough time”, or similar excuses. This is a very frequent answer that we give when we are asked about the reasons that we do not do something that is important for us.
Q: Why don’t you workout?
A: I don’t have time
Q: Why don’t you start the project that you have been mentioning so many times?
A: I don’t have time
Q: Why don’t you read, when you know that it is very important for your career?
A: I don’t have time.
Similar cases can continue endlessly, though most of the time they are not the main reason why we do not do these types of things. It is not simply that we do not have time, but I believe that it is much more than that. For example, we might have some deep fears, expectations and perceptions how things might become or can behave if we do these important things.
We might be afraid to go the gym, because usually when we go there, we get tired and feel a lot of pain in our muscles while working. We might be afraid of failing miserably if we are not able to do well with that project that we have been describing it enthusiastically to others. We might perceive reading every day as a daunting task that can make us feel tired and not able to watch the latest episode of a TV show.
There are times when we are very motivated to act on our goals, despite being involved in different areas of life. During these cases, giving excuses and lying in bed the whole day is out of the question. We should identify the reasons why we act during these cases, but we don’t other times.
Find the reason
I would like to ask you to do this exercise, which can help you identify the reasons why you are doing what you are doing, and why you don’t act though you know that these task are important to. Grab a piece of paper and write two or three things that you wish and plan to complete during the next week. Then, a week from now, go back to that paper and ask yourself whether you have been able to act on these goals. Write down the reasons why you did them, and if you haven’t done them, then write the reasons why you were not able to finish them. Get honest with yourself and try to identify the exact reason, rather than simply mentioning lame excuses.
After you identify the main elements that are stopping you from taking action, try to find solutions to them accordingly. This way, you are not only going to stop lying yourself and the others that you do not have enough time, but you will also do yourself a favor: Identifying the obstacles that are preventing you from achieving your goals.
There might be other reasons, but these were simply some possible ones that can make you sabotage your path to get the outcomes that you desire, which usually are not achieved by making excuses, but by doing some real work.
