Debunking some of my Anxieties and Excuses for Inaction
A little self pep-talk can go a long way.
It’s easy to fall into negative self talk. A constant spiral of excuses and doubts that hold us back from performing anything with consistency.
Because our brains crave the path of least resistance, it will say anything to force us into inaction and avoidance, sticking with what’s comfortable and safe. Change is inherently uncertain and it’s the unknown that sparks the fear that holds us captive.
I’m no stranger to this. I experience it on the daily.
But after a not-so-productive January and a growing list of things to-do, I’ve grown tired of my own bullshit. It’s exhausting. And I’m in much need of a 1 on 1 with my mind to answer to some of the excuses and lower the volume on the doubts that’s been holding me back from any real meaningful consistency in my work.
I’m not good enough.
Imposter syndrome is common in every new project that I take on. But it’s important to realise that it’s a symptom of comparison — I’m setting myself an unfair standard from the beginning here.
Every master starts off as a beginner in their craft. No one is excellent from the go. They learn. They try. They grow.
If I approach new work with the mindset of a student, then not being good enough can be spun into a positive — I’m forever learning and growing.
I have no time.
Yet somehow, I’m able to fit training, cooking, scrolling on social media, socialising with my partner, family and friends, and a bunch of other random things into my day besides the work that I actually need to be doing.
It’s not that I have no time. I’m just not making the time for it. Break down the tasks into digestible actions, and compound these with consistency to start seeing real progress over time.
People will judge me.
Let’s face it. People will judge and have an opinion on anything and everything, whether you succeed or fail. It’s out of your control what someone thinks about your work or how you do things.
Besides, the motivation for doing the work has never been about validation. You’re doing these things for yourself, so why would it matter what other people think about it then?
Do I actually want to do this?
Well, consider what will happen if you don’t.
Your life remains the same. You stay stagnant. Progress is minimal. And all of the same problems that you’re experiencing now will be magnified further as time passes without any action.
I think I’d rather be doing something about that then letting comfort silently kill me slowly.
Will this even work?
Shit, it might work. It might not work.
Regardless, you’ll never know unless you try. Because without trying and putting in the work, then it’s already failed. Inaction already has a proven result — failure.
Why not put in the effort, make the attempt and see where you can truly take this? And if it doesn’t work, then it’s not the end of the world. Sure, you might have to start over but at least you’ve gained something that you didn’t have before. Knowledge. Experience.
The know-how to come back stronger — so, you’re never really failing anyways.
It’s a constant battle fighting against each of these. They vary in their degrees of volume each day. But I remind myself that these are just thoughts, the voice of my brain attempting to protect itself from work.
Work means effort, effort leads to change and change is inherent with uncertainty — it’s the unknown that drives fear.
These thoughts will never fully go away. But with enough awareness and consistent action, they become more easily manageable. Less debilitating and more fleeting. And that alone makes the attempt at work more valuable for the experience itself.
