Our excuses just don’t end, do they?
I have noticed something about myself and it is that I will do anything to not do the work I’m supposed to. I prepare to-do lists, I motivate myself, and I plan on doing the task, but just as I am about to start, my mind starts making a list of excuses. And the list, if I’m being honest, is full of shitty and unnecessary things that can be done later.
But I have had enough and I have been ranting since the last article I wrote and today I want to talk about solutions. I want to talk about ways that can help me get past the excuses and finally do what I have to. This has to start with me setting priorities and being very clear about what is important in the long term. Someone said it very accurately: “Never let a short-term desire get in the way of a long-term goal.”
This is what I am going to be following from now on. I will have to realize that I will have to let go of the short-term pleasures to actually enjoy the benefits in the long term. After I’m clear about what I want, I will make a list of non-negotiables for the day. These are tasks that I can make no excuses for. Nothing will be more important than this set of actions.
I believe that to follow a routine, we need to make it extremely easy. This makes it more probable for us to follow it. So that is what I am going to do. I am going to take steps and do things that will assist me in following my short-term goals. These small steps will help me along the way and motivate me to not give up when things get tough.
I recently started wearing lenses and it made me realize how convenient it has become for me to workout with them. Earlier, with my specs on, for the entire workout, I would have to deal with them dropping down because of the sweat. But now I don’t feel lazy while putting on my lenses because I know they will help me get another task done. Earlier, I used to look for a reason not to workout, but now it’s the opposite.
We obviously can’t eliminate every minor inconvenience but we can minimize them at the very least. So this is what I want you to do. Take a paper. Write the thing you have been wanting to do for a while on top of the paper in bold. Below it, write the list of excuses you make to avoid the task at hand. Besides that, write the solution that will help you minimize the urge to not do the task.
Actively taking initiative to solve our problems like this is the key to becoming better. I hope we are in this together. Are you in?
Until next time, Adios amigo!
Excuses are the first thing we make when our parents ask us about our first crush. Read about my horrible experience with my first crush HERE!
