How not to have excuses

by Byron Woodson II

I saw this post on persuasive.net today and thought it would be useful for some people, including myself. I have been thinking about excuses and the way they get in the way of lives. Actually, my thoughts about the subject became a little technical ever since I read the book Rationality in Action by John Searle, a U. of Berkley Philosopher.

Originally I was trying to figure out the difference between reasons and justifications for doing something. A reason for doing something usually happens before-hand, while a justification happens after-the-fact. If I go to the store to get butter, and that's all I'm planning to get, and while at the store I happen to remember that I need a spatula (I'm making brownies) then the butter is the reason for going, while the spatula is not. The spatula is a after-the-fact justification for going, a side-benefit.

Upon reading AJ's post, I realized that this line of thinking closely resembles the way excuses work too.

How are reasons, justifications and excuses related?

Well, just as reasons and justifications are textured by time, all after-the-fact justifications not to do something are excuses. A justification in doing something we call a justification, a justification for not doing something we call an excuse. But what about what happens before hand, before we do or do not do something?

If you're thinking of not doing something in the future, it becomes an excuse when that 'reason' is less important than the 'reasons' to do that thing. For instance, not paying your credit card bill on time because 'you don't feel like i't is less important than paying your credit card bill on time. If you don't agree, try telling that to the rep when you're trying to not be charged for the late fee.

How do you not have excuses?

You can use these three filters to identify whether something is an excuse:

1. Distinguish between a reason (before) and a justification (after). Any reason not to do something after the fact is automatically an excuse. But what about if the 'excuse' happens beforehand?
2. Figure whether the reason not do to something trumps the reason to do something. If the reason not to do something is actually important, then the thought is not an excuse, it's a valid reason not to do something. If the reason not to do something does not trump the reason to do something, then it's an excuse. The important point here is to compare the reasons to do something with the reasons not to.
3. Once you have figured out whether it is an excuse, then you can go into the four steps that AJ Kumar puts in his post.

So how do you stop having excuses?
1. Do not tell anyone your excuses
2. Handle Your Own Objection
3. Like Nike says "Just Do It"
4. Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Once you start to get a handle on your excuses you can do more stuff and have more fun