Bonjour designers!
I was going through my notes from the book “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth” by John C. Maxwell and rediscovered this list of top excuses that keep you from growing. I had to share them with you.
“It’s not the right time.”
You have a lot of things going on, so you'll focus on growth later. Sometime next month, maybe. Will you? Or will more things come up? There is no perfect time; there will always be something else if growth is not a priority.
If you want to get something done, you have to do it now. Putting something off until “later” often means “never.”
“I’m afraid of making mistakes.”
Making mistakes is not pleasant, but it’s a necessary by-product of stretching yourself — working outside of your current capabilities. The only way to avoid making any mistakes is to do nothing, and does that sound better than making mistakes while improving yourself?
“I have to find the best way before I start.”
Related to the above, if you can research and plan, then at least you’re being productive and can avoid making mistakes, right? But a plan is not worth anything if it isn’t executed. How would you know what the best way is anyway? Before starting, you’re operating on too many assumptions to be able to make any kind of educated guess.
“I don’t feel like doing it.”
Instead of relying on motivation to get started, you should practice getting started by discipline — and the motivation will show up by itself. Motivation will show up once you’ve started because the reasons for continuing are bigger than starting.
For the curious, the excuse I identify with the most is “I have to find the best way before I start.” I imagine it’s the same for many who are obsessed with productivity like I am. I will remind myself that I should bias for action. A good action on Monday is worth more than a great action on Friday.
Which one do you identify with the most? And what is one small thing you can do to use the excuse less?
Au revoir,
Dan