I’ve used the phrase “writer’s block” plenty of times.  It’s almost like one of those throw-away “excuse” kind of things like, “Oh I’d love to do __, but I don’t have any time,” and, “I’m just too busy.”  We all toss it out there as an explanation for why we can’t do something, but does it really mean anything?

Nope, not at all.  It’s a total cop-out.  We’re all busy.  We wear or busy-ness on our chests like a medal.

My point is: if you really want to do something, you’ll figure out how to make it happen.

This came up at a breakfast I was at the other week  The topic was running the Pittsburgh marathon.  Two of us will do it, one said oh hell no, emphatically.

And that’s totally cool.  I’d rather have someone just be real and be like, “Yeah no, that’s never happening,” than sit there and pander on about it.

“Well, I don’t have time now, but it might be something to do in the future…  Oh, it’s great that you’re doing it, but I’m just so busy.”

Oh, yeah?  With what?

That just sounds like, “Oh good for you that you have the luxury of spending time on that, but I am far too important and busy to spend time on myself” even if it wasn’t intended that way.

Why are we so scared to say, “I just don’t have an interest in doing that,” or even a simple: “I really don’t want to.”  There’s nothing wrong with admitting that you don’t want to do something.

Is it because if we don’t have the drive to run a marathon or start our own business, we’re looked down on upon?  It seems like it’s worse to admit that you don’t want to do something than never follow through on what you claim you’d like to do, y’know, when you have the time.

Similar to having to appear busy at all times, we have to seem like we have all of these desires piling up just waiting for the time, but poor us, it just never makes itself available.  It’s a totally vain to-do list since we can’t just say “Nope, not gonna do that.”

I’m totally to blame for using this, too.

I won’t pretend like I never say, “I don’t have time” or “This writer’s block is killing my vibe!”  I do it all the time.  I don’t have time to vacuum or take the patio furniture in or get a hair cut or remember to text my mother that address.

For the company Christmas party, we were asked to bring a dish if we could.  I had time off, but I didn’t make that a priority over other tasks on my list.  I said I didn’t have time and everyone knowingly nodded.  I’m sure if I said, “I had more important things to do and just didn’t feel like making a cookie plate when I got  a spare moment” wouldn’t have been as readily accepted.

And I probably shouldn’t publicly admit this, but I still have Christmas presents for my aunt and uncle that my mom left for me to deliver at the beginning of November; sorry guys, I really just didn’t feel like hauling ass to drop things off.

So with the new year approaching, it’s the perfect time to strike these empty statements from our vocabulary.  Make time to do what you want and let the other things drop off.  Be real with what you want to do and stop making excuses.

What excuse phrase are you guilty of abusing?