25 Excuses You Can Have During the Recession

October 13, 2008 · Comments

excuses I was looking through my supplies in preparation of launching my pirate ship, and I came across a whole bunch of excuses that I wasn’t using any longer. I’m not sure where I got some of them, because they sure don’t look familiar to me. Being one to share, I wanted to make sure you had the opportunity to take these excuses and use them yourself, in case you needed some during this economic whatever you want to call it.

Meanwhile, I’m going to just keep pushing forward, creating, linking things together, and seeking business value for the people I work with. Who knows? Maybe you’re in the pirate ship kick with me. But for those of you who are staying behind, I wanted you to have these:

25 Excuses You Can Have During the Recession

  1. TV is a relaxation tool. It’s not a shunt of your attention.
  2. The Internet is more engaging than TV. It must be more nutritious.
  3. Are your reading choices educating and equipping you? Or entertaining you?
  4. How much more educated are you about politics?
  5. How much preparation are you doing versus the actual doing?
  6. Who’s holding you back? If you answered anything but “me,” go back and ask again.
  7. How much money do you need to learn? Education can be free.
  8. Permission? You waiting for it? Good luck with that.
  9. The bar’s a great place to meet old buddies, or talk with people out of work. Where do you meet tomorrow’s winners?
  10. You mow the lawn and paint the deck and whatever. I’ve got other goals with how I burn through my last remaining years.
  11. You should blog more about people you don’t like, things that annoy you, political campaigns, etc.
  12. It only takes five minutes. Do you have five minutes? How many five minutes blocks can you give away a day?
  13. Wait a few more months until you have a bit more _____.
  14. Wait for someone else to quit, to move, to stop doing whatever it is that’s in your way.
  15. Improve those processes, if you can. Pay grueling attention to the detail in those forms. I’ll be over here trying to succeed at the goal.
  16. You know that your local library is a powerhouse of learning, right? Oh, you don’t go there much. I forgot. (I know my 14 digit card number by heart).
  17. Stay up on every new tool in your space. New tools will do the job better. Don’t use the ones that already work well.
  18. Sleep more than 8 hours a day. It’s okay.
  19. Do the same stuff the company’s done for years. Do the same things your coworkers are doing. Just keep your head down, because doing the time gets rewarded.
  20. Don’t go to meetups and other face to face events. There’s no one there who might have a project of job lead for you.
  21. Say yes to everything. If someone’s doing something interesting, get on the team. You might as well try it all.
  22. Make sure you’re charging low enough. You wouldn’t want anyone to think you’re not a value.
  23. No matter what, don’t ally with anyone. That’s a bad plan. People helping people? Terrible!
  24. Take no breaks. Work endlessly without going for a walk to clear your head and refocus your vision. (This is my own to think about.)
  25. Don’t come up with new projects and products. People probably aren’t buying.

There you are. They’re all yours for the taking. If you can’t use them, feel free to give them to others who need some excuses. They can come in really handy, you know.

Oh, and do YOU have any excuses that you want to get rid of? Add them to the comments, please, and we can try and find a home for them.

If you haven’t done so already, consider subscribing for free so you can get the new stuff as it comes out. I’d love to keep the conversation going.

Photo credit, pattista

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  • I like number 6 the best.

    There's no time for procrastination or excuses--especially in a recession!
  • These are great ideas, Chris, but what recession? Times are tight around the world but there's no recession. Nothing official, anyway.

    Oh. Wait. Silly me. That's your point, isn't it?
  • Excellent list! I hate the TV set except on NFL events or specific sporting events. But seriously, killer points, expose that type of thinking and shoot it down, IMMEDIATELY!
  • How kind of you to share. ;-)

    I'm always looking for some excuse or another. How nice to have them all lined up for me.

    (Is it wrong that I secretly wish #18 worked for me? I'm lucky if I can sleep 3 hours.)
  • Chris, this is great food for thought. As a freelance journalist, my future is mine to make. And I'm the one who can hold myself back -- or not -- no matter the shape of the economy.

    Your posts always motivate me. But this is one of your best. Thanks for getting my week off on the right foot!
  • Yeah, #6 is definitely the best one Chris. Great list. Now, more than ever, we need more stuff like this, right?
  • This reminds me of a book that a friend gave me many years ago by William Danforth called "I Dare You". I think it's out of print, but if you can find it, it's worth the effort. Thanks for nudging me to read it again.

    I'll add these:
    - Wait for "best" because that's what everyone wants. Why do something that's merely "good" when you could wait for "best"?
    - Don't ask questions that might make you uncomfortable. Everyone expects you to know everything. They wouldn't give you helpful info anyway.
    - Don't volunteer for anything. You don't have the time and you can't possibly get any benefit from it.
  • Love it! Especially #13. Surely in a few months things will be different. More money, more time, more confidence, different government, better weather, ... No time like the future to get things done! (-:
  • I have a hard time taking breaks because I get so focused and determined, but I've suffered burnout often enough to start making myself take them. That's where my crazy fitness regimen comes into play. Good list Chris.
  • In a meeting yesterday, my husband, reacting to a participant obsessed with reading blogs and media about the upcoming US election, thusly:

    "Well, it's terrific that you're focused. I'm going to gaze out that window and see if I can change the weather."

    **Action** is what's required now and, while we're at it, let's keep it in a positive vein.
  • Great stuff. I'd add:

    26. Stay within your familiar sphere of hobbies and interests. Don't try anything new.
  • Great post Chris!

    It is always so easy to come up with an excuse from day to day and then when you look up, weeks, months or years have gone by.

    While everyone (me included) is definitely guilty of some of those excuses from time to time, I try to think of things like this: Whenever I'm sleeping, or "just hanging out", or [insert any excuse here], there is someone that wants it more than me. They are staying up that extra hour tonight to work on whatever it is that's going to make them successful. They are attending that meetup event for a couple hours tonight. Therefore, if I want to beat them then I always have to stay one step ahead, go to more meetups, develop more content, work harder on my projects, etc. Of course, you have to find some balance, even if it is a bit of a skewed balance between work, family, other interests, etc.

    I'm one of those personalities that's never satisfied. No matter how much is on my plate, I always am seeking to take on more, make more time in the day and interact with more people. Therefore, I try to keep excuses out of my head though it is a constant battle even more so when you're tired or having a stressful week.

    Success takes a lot of hard work. Seeing your work ethic, among some others out there as well, is motivating and keeps me going at times when I'm tired. Be it drive, motivation, a sense of competition, as long as that fire stays lit is all that matters.

    Keep up the great work buddy!
  • jwh
    You mean everything's NOT W's fault....?!?
  • Number 23 is for me! So awesome.
  • Joanna Kane
    Love this! And what a perfect time to hear news like this, right on the pulse of where my mind is. Keep complacent to keep the job I have, or keep moving to whatever may lie ahead....

    I am printing this for sure! Thank you!
  • kat brogan
    you were looking through my dairy again weren't you
  • I really don't know what I think about the sleep one. I see a lot of tweets (toots?) and blog posts about how I should sleep five hours a day and start a business in the three hours a day I save.

    I guess the point is if it makes you happy, do it (within reason). If it's not making you happy, like you feel bad that you don't have the time to do something when you nap two hours a day, then stop doing it.
  • So I wasn't quite with you on the Pirate Ship stuff. Don't know why - call me slow. But now, I'm right back with you. As small business owners, it would be easy for us to slow things down, pull in the reigns and keep our heads down. Not happening here. We're moving forward and giving our customers a reason for coming back to our store and website. New products, events and most importantly, a happy, upbeat environment. Speed bumps? I'm sure there will be some and we'll deal and move on.

    As I see it, what's the alternative? Curl up in a ball and sob?
  • Chris - this is the roundhouse kick to the face I needed.

    Two big secrets I try to live my life by is "Leave no regrets" and "You will only get limitations if you aks for them" - hmmm that could be a post itself.

    Why hold back, why wait? I guess it can be scary - I struggle everyday not to give up. Its easier to stop and wallow, its more difficult to keep things going.

    Re-reading your list you only needed to list #6 - that sais it all!
  • Chris Wedge
    Great food for thought! We just had a large (1/3 of the workforce) "downsizing" at work and if we could have ditched a few of the excuses, we might still be the same size. One of the themes that ties many excuses together is the personal life getting in the way of success. You don't have to work 80 hours a week to succeed, but you will and fail if you don't work in a focused and creative way.
  • My favorite:
    Permission? You waiting for it? Good luck with that.
  • Chris,

    I'm not sure when you sleep. But after reading this post, I'm convinced that's never. Thank-you for your continued excellent insight. We can whine and cry about it, or we can do something about it. Thanks, I will be sending my partners, clients and collaborators this post!

    Cheers
    km
  • Matt
    As a public librarian I love 16! I just found this site this week and am really enjoying it. Lots of stuff I can use to make my library more of a "powerhouse of learning". Kudos for knowing your library card number!!
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