The Day I Stopped Making Excuses and Started Making Progress

My Real-Life Journey

Hey, if you’ve ever spent hours scrolling through social media instead of working on your dreams — you’re in good company. That was me, too. I had so many ideas and so little action. My to-do list was more of a wish list.

For the longest time, I told myself I was just waiting for the right moment. The perfect plan. More energy. But those things never magically showed up. What did show up was frustration — the kind that comes when you know you’re capable of so much more.

One day, I hit my breaking point. I was tired of watching other people build their dreams while mine sat collecting dust. So I decided to make a change — and let me tell you, it wasn’t some overnight miracle. It was small, messy steps. But those steps added up.

Here’s what actually worked for me:

I Stopped Waiting for Motivation

Motivation is unreliable. I realized if I waited to feel like it, I’d never start. So I made a rule: Just do the thing, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. More often than not, those 10 minutes turned into real progress.

I Got Honest About My Distractions

My phone? A productivity killer. Netflix? My favorite escape. I started setting boundaries — putting my phone in another room and giving myself specific times to relax so work time actually meant work.

I Made My Goals Stupidly Simple

Instead of vague goals like “start a business” or “write a book,” I broke them down into tiny steps. “Research Etsy fees” or “Write 300 words today” felt doable — and that made all the difference.

I Created Accountability

I told a friend about my goals. I joined a community of like-minded people. Knowing someone else was paying attention kept me moving when I wanted to quit.

I Celebrated the Small Wins

Finished a rough draft? I treated myself to my favorite coffee. Made my first sale? You bet I did a happy dance. Those little celebrations kept me going.

I’m still a work in progress — but now, I am making progress. If you’re stuck in the cycle of procrastination, just know you don’t have to stay there.

Start small. Start messy. But start.

What’s one thing you’ve been putting off? Hit reply and tell me — let’s tackle it together.

— Jane