Creating Breakthroughs

creative project coaching 2013

When Excuses Are Louder Than Your Passion

Do you have something you know you need to do—but you-just-can’t make yourself do it?

For me, that “thing” was writing.

Writing makes me happy and fulfilled. But for a long time, I couldn’t sit down and actually do it. My frustration was growing.

In 2012, before I launched this blog, I had so much I wanted to share. Every day, I thought, today I’ll write. And then I didn’t.

The Excuses We Tell Ourselves

I had plenty of reasons (or at least I thought I did):

English is my second language. When I read my writing a few days later, i often have no idea what I meant. Punctuation? Forget it—it’s different in my first language… I saw a new exciting recipe in La Cucina Italiana… I should cook instead…. The weather is perfect. I’d rather go biking… Everything has already been written.

What is it for you?

Every night I went to bed frustrated, having written nothing but a line or two in my journal.

What Happens When You Don’t Listen to Yourself

When your excuses are stronger than your passion, you hit a wall. And if you ignore your inner voice for too long, it starts to hurt.

Your creative energy turns inward—and becomes destructive.
Your self-esteem sinks.
You feel restless, even miserable.
You start to believe that everyone else is better at this.
Doubts creep in: Maybe I’m not cut out for this.
You stay awake at night, wondering why? why?
You watch or read others sharing their passions and you catch yourself thinking, I could do it better, but you’re still silent.
And meanwhile—someone out there is waiting for exactly what you have to share, and you’re not showing up.

The hardest part? Disappointing yourself.

Underneath all of this are fears: fear of judgment, fear of failure, fear of not being enough. But here’s the truth: you can overcome these fears. Some of them are illusions, like a mirage, you touch them and they – puff! – disappear, some are irrelevant – you are bigger than them!

Eventually, my frustration grew bigger than my excuses. I couldn’t wait anymore.

How Breakthroughs Really Happen

My breakthrough didn’t come in one dramatic flash. It came in tiny steps.

I took one small action. Then another. And another.
I stopped overthinking and just began.
Slowly, my perception shifted—especially how I saw myself.

I started valuing my own voice.
I honored the artist within me.
I learned that excuses are just a sign of emotional immaturity.
And what I once resisted set me free.

Here’s what I realized: for things to change, the discomfort of not acting has to outweigh the comfort of excuses. And your courage has to grow bigger than your fear.

Steps Toward Your Own Breakthrough

If you feel stuck, here are a few reminders:

Set a clear intention for who you want to be and what you want to do. Self-doubt is normal, but it fades as you keep going.
Choose something that energizes you.
Make the decision. Tune in—does it feel aligned in your body and heart?
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Mistakes are part of growth.
Expect challenges. They’re not setbacks—they’re tests of commitment.
Notice how good things line up when you act in integrity with yourself.

You will notice that you were the person who was holding you back. And the breakthrough process allowed you to get to know yourself better and grow.

Your Turn

What’s the thing you’ve been putting off—the one that keeps whispering to you at night?

What’s one small step I can take today to honor this desire?

Even the smallest action can start your breakthrough.

brass quilt pen If you want someone to guide you through your mindset, your creative obstacles, to work that is better than you expected – sign up for my Creative Project Coaching, a 1:1 coaching program (and some active imagination – hypnosis if you are open to it.)

This is how you make things faster with focus. This is how you create the momentum.