No More Excuses
For some reason, this week I’ve been hearing a buncha-lotta excuses! My cat died, I’ve been slammed at work, my secretary has been on vacation, the dog ate my homework….
I also hear authors making excuses about why they haven’t finished a manuscript or haven’t sent somthing out, why friends are getting published while they are still plinking around with an outline. It usually sounds something like: “There just aren’t enough hours in the day.”
But in truth, we make time for the things we want to do. For example I always manage to find time to yak on the phone to my mum at least once a week, write snark emails to my best girlfriend, and watch the episode of Grey’s I’ve recorded. But when it comes time to, oh, do a couple loads of laundry, I just don’t have the energy.
It reminds me of a wonderful rant I once heard from the late George Carlin, where he was laughing at people who say “I don’t have all day.” How can you not have all day? Everyone has exactly all day. I suppose when people make excuses, what they’re really saying is, “I do have ‘all day’, but I’m not really keen on spending my ‘all day’ on the thing I told you I’d get done by yesterday morning.”
So when you’re telling yourself why you can’t get your manuscript polished and sent out, remember:
“You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Louis Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Albert Einstein.”
You have ‘all day’, just like they did. Use your days wisely. We never know how many of them we’re going to get, when it’s all said and done.
(Oh, and if you’re ever late with something for me, you don’t need to make excuses. I have a lot of first-hand experience with curve-balls. As soon as you realise you won’t make a deadline, let me know you’ll be later than expected, and I’m fine with that. Nobody likes to hear excuses, and being the cynical person I am, I probably won’t believe you anyway. What can I say? I’ve never met a dog that wanted to eat your homework any more than you wanted to do your homework.)
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Your right! It’s not “I don’t have the time”, it’s “I don’t want to devote the time”
Now try telling it to all my flute students so they’ll practice!
People are funny. We find time for the things that are truly important. Sometimes people forget, but more often, they just don’t place enough value or importance on a task or goal.
[ Follow me on Twitter: alexjcavanaugh ]
True story: Boy Fren’s brother, Laurence, teaches photography-related courses at University in Austin TX. Bear in mind, no one is required to take photography. Yet, lazy-assed college students being what they are, excuses proliferate. Not even reasonable excuses, either; some are extreme, the scariest of which may be “My grandmother (or g-father) died.” Usually, for pathos’ sake, they knock off Grannie.
He was at first shocked & appalled, until he realized these L.A.C.S.s don’t believe God (or whomever’s in charge of vile pay-backs) might just visit such a fate upon a deserving liar. Then he added a disclaimer to his syllabi each semester, “If you love your Grandmother, do not take this course. Such an action often unleashes a death-ray in the universe which will surely kill her the first time you get in a jam over a pending deadline.”
As for me and my years of instructing L.A.C.S.’s, DON’T GET ME STARTED!!!
[ Follow me on Twitter: girlfrenkate ]
Does it count as excuse making when you gleefully pronounce to the world that you have been slacking off? I personally don’t think so but wondered if others did after reading this post.
I have been lost in “Jane Eyre,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Pride and Prejudice” this past week I have acknowledged it with joy not as an excuse but to say why I have been a slacker. I am offering a reason not rationalization.
The dog did not eat my homework, I just did not do all of it because I have been playing way too hard.
Ciao,
Ardee-ann
[ Follow me on Twitter: ardee_sagemoon ]
Ah, but those guys didn’t have twitter.
If I tried to paint the sistine chapel, I’d probably get dribbles all over my laptop.
Oh Dear! I heard myself in those excuses. You are right though, we all have all day. The same all day. But somehow my all day seems to pass to quickly.