How to Stop Making Excuses and Take Action

To make fewer excuses, identify the real constraints and specify your next action. Use small goals and a restart plan, but do not treat pain or long working hours as proof of success.

To make fewer excuses, turn the causes of failure into your next actions. Start by distinguishing real constraints from conditions you can change. Choose a small action and begin. The severity of your struggle alone cannot determine your likelihood of success.

The working-hours figures are based on the WHO and ILO announcement of May 17, 2021.

The Difference Between Excuses and Explanations of Causes

Excuses and explanations of causes can be distinguished by whether they lead to follow-up action. Here, an excuse is an explanation used to avoid responsibility or action. Cause analysis is the process of identifying conditions to change on the next attempt.

The same reason can have different meanings depending on the situation. If you did not have enough time, first check your actual schedule. If there is no room for adjustment, you can consider requesting support or changing the goal. If there is room for change but you have stopped reviewing your options, check whether you are avoiding the issue.

Explanations that label you as incompetent should also be examined. An assessment of your overall ability does not tell you what action to correct. Write down something verifiable, such as questions you answered incorrectly or preparation you missed.

Organizing by Condition: Criteria for Deciding Whether to Start or Adjust

The burden that makes you delay starting and the constraints that prevent action require different responses. The table below provides practical criteria for distinguishing situations. Do not use it to judge other people's circumstances.

Current situation What to check Response to consider
Delaying because the task seems too large Whether the first action is specific Reduce the amount required to start
Lacking necessary knowledge or skills Which task is causing difficulty Learn that part or request feedback
Lacking time or money What can be done with current resources Adjust the schedule or scope, or request support
Facing health or safety issues Whether it is safe to continue Consider stopping, recovering, or consulting a professional
Finding an evaluation unreasonable The evaluation criteria and actual results Confirm the criteria, then consider changing roles or environments
Repeating the same failure Whether you repeated the same method Change the method and check the result

Even when people work in the same weather, their working environments may differ. Family finances and caregiving responsibilities are also conditions to consider. Determine the scope of the actions you are responsible for based on actual conditions.

Steps for Turning Excuses into Actions

In your action plan, write down both the situation in which you will start and the action you will take. In psychology, this type of plan is called an implementation intention. It converts a strong resolution into specific conditions for action.

A 2006 meta-analysis reported that implementation intentions help people achieve goals. It confirmed the effect by combining multiple studies. The figures do not guarantee individual success. Meta-analysis of implementation intentions and goal achievement

  1. Write down the reason you got stuck as a fact. Instead of judging yourself as weak-willed, record what actually happened.
  2. Choose a condition you can change. Distinguish between what you can adjust directly and what requires help from others.
  3. Choose a small starting action. Separate out the first part to begin from the task you need to complete.
  4. Connect the action to the situation in which you will start. For example, plan to open the work file when you sit at your desk after work.
  5. Revise the plan based on the result. Check whether you acted and why you got stuck, then choose the next opportunity.

After reading a book or watching a video, write down an action you will apply. If you could not act, check whether you felt burdened. Also examine whether you lacked the necessary resources or skills. Failure to act cannot be explained by a sense of burden alone.

Example of Applying a Small Goal

If you want to start walking, you could set a starting goal of walking for 10 minutes. The following is a hypothetical example of making the plan more specific. Ten minutes is not an exercise prescription suitable for everyone.

Planning element Example entry
Current difficulty Delaying departure because of the idea that the exercise session must be long
Starting situation When physically able to walk and after putting on walking shoes following work
Starting action Walk for 10 minutes at the chosen location
Environment to prepare Keep walking shoes and necessary items where they are easy to find
Completion check Record whether the planned walk was completed
If unable to act Write down what got in the way and designate the next available opportunity

If you walked for 10 minutes, you completed the starting goal you set. You do not necessarily have to increase it to 1 or 2 hours. Decide whether to do more based on your physical condition and schedule. Do not turn a commitment designed to help you start into an obligation to keep doing more.

Criteria to Check When Changing Your Environment

Changing your environment means choosing to change specific conditions that prevent action. First examine the vague idea of moving somewhere better. You can write down which resources are missing from your current environment.

Rewards and opportunities may vary by environment. However, a comparison with product prices cannot be used to judge a person's value. If you want to change your workplace or role, compare the actual conditions.

Comparison item What to check in the current environment What to check in the new environment
Evaluation What criteria are used to evaluate you Whether the criteria are clearly presented
Learning Whether you can receive the feedback you need Whether there are genuine opportunities to learn
Action Conditions that repeatedly block you Whether those conditions will improve
Daily life Effects on time, cost, and health Whether the changes are manageable

There is no need to force desperation on yourself as a way to create an environment for action. Start by considering whether you can prepare the necessary tools in advance. You can also choose someone to check your progress with you. Before making a major decision, check the results of a small change.

Common Mistake: Interpreting Pain and Desperation as Performance

Feeling that something is difficult does not by itself mean that success is near. Learning can progress despite difficulty. In other cases, however, you need to recognize that the method should be changed.

Common interpretation What has not been confirmed What to check instead
Believing that difficulty means success is just ahead The link between pain and the timing of success Whether work results or skills are improving
Believing that desperation guarantees victory The claim that mindset alone determines the result Level of preparation and actual performance results
Believing you must feel confident before starting The assumption that complete confidence is necessary before starting An action you can test on a small scale
Deciding that failure means the goal was wrong Confusion between the cause of failure and the goal itself Whether the problem was the method, amount, or environment
Believing you must endure to the end to avoid regret The assumption that persistence always produces good results Future costs and the changes you can expect

Desperation can be a personal reason for choosing a goal. However, it is difficult to use as the sole criterion for explaining rankings. Connect the result you want with the action you will take today.

To treat a dream as an actionable goal, you need criteria for checking progress. If you are studying, check whether you can explain what you did not understand. At work, check whether the deliverable meets the requirements. Do not evaluate growth solely by how hard you pushed yourself.

Comparing Time Investment: Does Twice the Time Mean Twice the Growth?

You cannot calculate that twice the time invested will produce twice the rate of growth. The difference between 8 hours and 16 hours a day is a difference in time. There is no basis for assuming that the quality of experience or the learning effect will increase at the same rate.

Comparison What can be calculated or checked What cannot be concluded
8 hours a day and 16 hours a day Daily time invested is doubled Skill or performance is also doubled
10 years and 5 years The period is halved The same experience and judgment are gained
Sitting for a long time and completing work Time and results can be recorded separately Sitting longer produces better results

Long working hours must also be considered separately in terms of health. The 2021 WHO and ILO announcement analyzed working at least 55 hours per week. The comparison group worked 35-40 hours per week. The announcement reported the following associations. WHO and ILO announcement on long working hours

Outcome Increase in relative risk from working at least 55 hours per week compared with 35-40 hours per week
Stroke 35%
Death from ischemic heart disease 17%

These percentages do not represent an individual's probability of developing the condition. They are also not criteria for determining safe working hours for each person. When planning to increase your hours, also consider whether you will be able to recover.

How to Record Restarting After Failure

After stopping, write down the conditions for starting again. This is a way to assess progress without relying solely on whether your practice has been continuous. The record items below are suggestions for applying research findings in practice.

A habit study published online in 2009 tracked repeated behaviors. Missing one opportunity to act did not have a significant effect on habit formation. This cannot be extended to mean that every interruption is harmless. Habit formation study

  1. Write down the situation in which you stopped. Record verifiable details, such as a scheduling conflict or inadequate preparation.
  2. Choose the next available opportunity. Instead of vaguely resolving to try again, designate the actual situation in which you will start.
  3. Record the action you took when restarting. Check whether you realistically completed the planned amount.
  4. Address recurring obstacles. If you keep stopping for the same reason, try changing the schedule or method.

A restart record is not a scorecard for self-blame. It is a tool for identifying what you need between stopping and returning. If you need recovery or support, put those conditions in place first.

The Difference Between Self-Blame and Responsibility

You cannot conclude that harsh self-blame is necessary to develop a sense of responsibility. Responsibility can be expressed by choosing an action to correct. There is no need to make your entire character the cause of failure.

A 2012 study examined attitudes of accepting failure and motivation for self-improvement. In one experiment, participants in the self-compassion condition studied longer. Self-compassion is an attitude of understanding yourself when you are experiencing difficulty. Study of self-compassion and motivation for self-improvement

This result does not guarantee the same effect in every situation. However, it is inconsistent with the claim that improvement requires being harsh with yourself. After acknowledging failure, choose a specific action to correct.

Organizations must also distinguish between individual effort and operational problems. Do not explain problems with work instructions or resource allocation solely as matters of individual attitude. Actions that members can change can be agreed on separately.

Action Plan Checklist

An action plan should allow you to identify what to do at the next opportunity. Replace abstract resolutions with the items below in writing. After starting, revise the plan to reflect the actual results.

FAQ

How can you distinguish an excuse from a valid reason?

First, check whether the reason explains the actual situation. Then identify the conditions you can change and the support you need. You cannot conclude that something is an excuse simply because you cannot take action right away.

What should you do when you keep making plans but cannot get started?

Choose a small action to take first. Link that action to a situation in which you will start it. Also check whether you lack any necessary skills or resources.

Does starting small mean lowering your goal?

You can distinguish between the initial amount of work and the final goal. A small action is a plan for getting started. Adjust the final goal or schedule based on the results of your efforts to determine whether they are realistic.

Is a difficult period a sign that success is near?

You cannot determine when success will come based on suffering alone. Check whether your actual results or performance are improving. If things continue to worsen, you can reassess your approach and the scope of your goal.

If you work 16 hours a day, will you grow twice as fast as you would working 8 hours?

You cannot directly translate the difference in working hours into the rate of growth. You need to assess the nature and results of the work separately. Also consider the health effects of working long hours.

If you miss one day of practice, have you failed to form a habit?

You do not need to consider it a failure just because you missed once. Habit formation research found that a single lapse did not have a major effect. Make a plan to resume at the next available opportunity.

Does being strict with yourself improve your ability to follow through?

Setting clear standards for your actions is different from criticizing yourself. Experiments have also found that self-compassion can increase motivation to improve. Acknowledge what you did wrong and decide what to correct.

If the environment is not a good fit, should you immediately change jobs or roles?

First, identify the specific conditions in your current environment that are holding you back. Compare whether those conditions would improve in a new environment. Also review the evaluation criteria, learning opportunities, and impact on your life.

How do you decide whether to keep going or change your approach?

Check whether there are changes that bring you closer to your goal. If the same obstacle keeps recurring, that is grounds for changing your approach. If there are health or safety concerns, first reassess whether you should continue.

Sources

Images

An office worker sits on an entryway bench tying a blue walking shoe, with a work bag set aside.
An office worker sits on an entryway bench tying a blue walking shoe, with a work bag set aside.
In a woodworking studio, an apprentice points out a gap in a wooden joint to an instructor.
In a woodworking studio, an apprentice points out a gap in a wooden joint to an instructor.