Setting My 2024 Motto: A Year Without Excuses
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Chapter 1: Embracing Change
Time seems to slip away quickly, and it's hard to believe we are already approaching the end of February 2024. At the beginning of the month, I shared a story that received minimal attention. However, it’s interesting how I've now begun to set my aspirations for the year and life, something I couldn't envision just weeks ago.
Initially, I was doubtful about the trend of making New Year's resolutions, viewing it as a mere fad. Often, these intentions falter because people engage in them without the necessary commitment. Simply wishing for change won't yield results.
As the calendar flipped, I didn’t experience any significant shifts in my life. But then, unexpectedly, I stumbled upon a crucial goal for 2024. I realized that I had been living in a cycle of excuses, often citing my busyness as a barrier. It became clear that I needed to eliminate that mindset.
“No excuses.” That’s my guiding principle for this year.
Section 1.1: Understanding Excuses
Excuses serve as a convenient way to abandon attempts, effectively asking for an easy way out. When you succumb to your excuses, you’re already accepting defeat.
It’s easy to see why; you’re choosing inaction over making an effort for change.
Yes, I am indeed very busy. That’s a fact. It limits my ability to focus on specific tasks. But if I were to use that as a reason for not achieving something, I would deserve criticism for leaning on that same old excuse.
I've been overly reliant on excuses in various areas of my life. Take writing, for instance. I used to struggle with it constantly. However, I decided to break that pattern by telling myself, “If you can’t write ten-minute pieces, then write two-minute ones instead.”
Subsection 1.1.1: A New Approach to Writing
This realization pushed me to eliminate excuses from my life entirely. I was fed up with them. Writing was my starting point, but I realized that I needed to extend this newfound approach to all areas of my life.
This year, I’ve resolved to keep excuses out of my decision-making process. I made a promise to myself—and to you—that I will not allow excuses to dictate my actions.
If I ever think about abandoning my writing endeavors for trivial reasons, I’ll have to face the consequences. “Sorry, Mark. You’ll have to wait until 2025, at the very least.”
Section 1.2: The Power of Action
The one thing I’m committed to leaving behind this year is the habit of making excuses. They are no longer welcome in my life.
In truth, there is no obstacle too great to overcome. If you can’t leap over it, you can always navigate around it. The real failure lies in not attempting to do anything at all.
When it comes to writing, I’ve opted to accelerate my pace so I can produce more content. I’m focusing on minimizing excessive revisions and simplifying my approach. I now seize every opportunity to write, even if it starts in the most unexpected places (and no, I don’t have children to drop off at school).
This may not seem monumental to you, but making that initial leap felt daunting, and I often procrastinated. The toughest part was changing my mindset. Once I did, everything began to flow more smoothly.
This transformation didn’t occur overnight; it was something I had been contemplating for a while. However, there was a pivotal moment when I realized I had to take action to combat my inertia.
Interestingly, this awakening happened around the time of the Chinese New Year—though I'm not sure if that holds significance. But starting early is always beneficial.
What truly matters, however, is this:
No excuses.
You’ll see this theme recurring if you continue to follow my stories. If you’re not ready to embrace this mindset, feel free to step back. But if you are, prepare yourself—I'm fully committing to this motto this year.
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