All of us end up making excuses once in a while. We walk the wire between procrastination and action, sometimes we rationalize and other times we start immediately. The secret sauce that makes the difference between the two is willpower.
When you procrastinate, you lack willpower. But because willpower isn’t something that you can control easily, here is what you can do to stop making excuses and get on with it.
What’s the most important thing for you right now? Do you want to get to the top of your class? Make better earnings by next year? Be in a happy relationship? The reason you make excuses is because you don’t have your priorities in place. Do you make time to consider your decisions in life or just go with the flow?
Prioritizing what’s essential in your life is how you can make the right choice in times of conflict. Suppose you were invited for a party the same day when you have to prepare for a test. How would you decide what to do? Simply chose whether your social life or academics is your first priority. Then you will have eliminated the reason for excuse making.
While confused priorities are just one part of excuse-making, the other factor is unwillingness to take risks. Success means that you will need to step outside your comfort zone and face failures with courage.
Conflict can also happen when you need to take a huge step and make a big change in your life. Then you land up making excuses. You tend to look for easier tasks to validate your procrastination.
The fix here is to break down large, uncomfortable things into easier, bite-sized potions. Inaction stems from fear. If you cannot break an activity into smaller steps, you will just have to brave it or avoid it altogether. Reward yourself when you accomplish little goals.
The next time you find yourself procrastinating, fix yourself up by focusing on your priorities and you’ll always be on track to success.
