Are You Solving Problems or Creating Excuses? The Power of Naming What Holds You Back

When Naming the Problem is the Problem: Moving from Diagnosis to Action

Have you ever noticed the unique sense of relief that comes when you finally put a name to the thing that’s been holding you back? Maybe it’s the realization that you’re not a “closer” when it comes to sales. Or you accept that you tend to procrastinate, or that technology feels overwhelming, or that you’re uncomfortable putting yourself out there at networking events. Perhaps you decide you’re just “not creative,” or “bad with money,” and suddenly things make a little more sense. The patterns—missed sales, deadlines slipping, that unfinished website or stale marketing campaign—they all have a newly-labeled source.

Naming the problem can be both liberating and dangerous, and most people don’t pause to question which one they’re actually experiencing. It feels strategic and self-aware to admit our flaws and obstacles. We’re taught everywhere—through self-help books, business podcasts, social media inspirational posts—that you can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge. In theory, putting language to our struggles is the start of problem-solving.

But there’s a catch, and it’s one that trips up even the smartest, most motivated people. Sometimes, putting a name to the thing that holds you back does take away some of its power. Yet just as often, it grants the problem more power than it had before. The issue isn’t always the obstacle itself, but the relationship we choose to have with the label we assign it.

Diagnosis: Doorway or Dead End?

Let’s look at a few real-life examples. Maybe you’ve said—or heard—the following:

• “I’m just not a salesperson.”
• “I’m terrible at following up with clients.”
• “I don’t do well with technology.”
• “I’m not good with numbers.”
• “I’m not creative.”

These can be valuable admissions. Realizing you avoid sales calls, let new leads slip through the cracks, or get overwhelmed by apps and systems is genuinely useful knowledge. Now you have a starting point. You can develop your skills, hire support, or build routines and systems to compensate. You can take a class, delegate, or try a new approach.

But what if, six months later, you’re still saying the same thing? What if “I’m not a salesperson” is no longer a moment of self-insight, but the familiar refrain you use to sidestep uncomfortable learning or practice? What if "I'm terrible at follow-up" isn't just the truth—it's your permission slip to never improve your system?

That’s when the diagnosis stops being a doorway and becomes a dead end.

Labels That Help, Labels That Hinder

Here’s where things get tricky. The line between self-awareness and self-limitation is razor thin. Especially in the world of business and entrepreneurship—where every day brings a new challenge—it’s easy to let “naming the problem” turn into “accepting the problem as permanent and insurmountable.”

This goes double when the label becomes part of your identity. When we start to think in terms of “I am” statements—"I am not a salesperson," "I am not creative," "I am bad at technology"—it feels true on a deep, almost immutable level. Challenging these beliefs becomes uncomfortable because it requires questioning not just your skills or knowledge, but your very sense of self. If you fix the problem, then you have to admit that you were wrong about yourself. That’s a big ask for our egos and our habits.

And let’s not forget the external labels we give to our circumstances:

• “Our customers are just too price-sensitive.”
• “The market here is so conservative they never try anything new.”
• “Nobody reads email anymore.”
• “Social media doesn’t work for my industry.”

Maybe every one of these statements is accurate, at least in part. But the crucial question is: what happens after you say it? Does identifying this obstacle help you make a smarter decision, or does it just give you an excuse for staying put? Does it push you to adjust your approach, or does it let you off the hook for innovating, learning, or persevering?

Awareness ≠ Action

Putting a name to the challenge is supposed to make it more manageable, more actionable, more solvable. It should shrink the problem—make it specific, clear, and something you can address. When it doesn’t, when the problem seems even bigger, more permanent, and less possible to solve after you’ve named it, then you’ve gone from problem-solving to excuse-making.

Awareness without action is just a more elegant form of procrastination.

So how do you know which path you’re on? How can you check your own thinking before you let a label set up permanent residence in your mindset?

One Question That Changes Everything

Every time you identify a limitation—personal or professional—ask yourself this:

“Now that I know what to call it, what can I do that I couldn’t do before?”

If you have an answer to that question, naming the problem has truly helped you. You’ve transformed awareness into leverage. Maybe you can now hire the right person for your sales, or invest in a course on follow-up strategies. You can tweak your marketing, begin practicing your pitch, or automate some tasks. You can enlist support, install a new app, design a more creative workflow. You’re ready to act.

If you don’t have an answer—if naming the problem suddenly feels like the end of the conversation—be careful. You may have just granted the problem a lot more authority over your future than it deserves. You haven’t conquered it by diagnosing it. You’ve simply given it a distinguished label, and in doing so you’ve given it permission to stick around.

Turning Awareness Into Leverage

So what are the steps to keep your diagnosis moving you toward success instead of holding you back?

1. **Be Specific in Your Naming**

   Avoid vague labels. Instead of “I’m bad with money,” identify where you struggle. Do you forget to invoice clients? Let receipts pile up? Miss important payment deadlines? The more specific you are, the easier it is to solve.

2. **Separate Identity From Behavior**

   You are not your limitations. You might have trouble following up, but you are not “bad at follow-up” as a core personality trait. Language matters. “I’m working on getting better at follow-up,” is much more productive than “I’m terrible at it.”

3. **Always Ask—What’s Now Possible?**

   Once you name the problem, immediately brainstorm actions you haven’t tried yet. Are there templates, tools, or checklists you could use for follow-up? Would an accountability partner help? Could a coach or mentor show you something you’ve missed?

4. **Make the Problem Public (With Care)**

   Sometimes, sharing your struggle with others is the fastest route to action. Accountability can move you past the comfort of the diagnosis. Just be wary of creating or joining echo chambers where everyone is stuck articulating problems without working on solutions.

5. **Monitor Your Story**

   Notice when your label begins to sound rehearsed. If your friends, colleagues, or clients can finish your “I’m bad at…” sentence before you, it’s a sign your diagnosis has entered the realm of comfortable excuse.

Real-World Examples From Business and Life

Let’s apply this to everyday scenarios I see all the time in my work with clients.

Technology Fears

A business owner says, “I’m not good with technology.” That’s the diagnosis. Now what? If it leads to, “So I’m going to take an online course about WordPress basics,” or “I’ll hire an assistant to handle the tech,” then the label is a tool for progress. If, however, they continue to avoid every new tool or platform, blaming their “tech-phobia,” the diagnosis has become a cage.

Sales Aversion

A consultant claims, “I’m not a salesperson.” Fine, but what actions are possible now? Can they read a book about consultative selling? Shadow a more experienced salesperson? Switch to an inbound model so selling feels less transactional? Or do they just stop prospecting, letting opportunities go cold, all the while feeling justified because “that’s not who I am”?

Creative Block

A freelancer complains, “I’m not creative.” That label can prompt them to sign up for a creativity workshop, try new ideation exercises, or collaborate with more imaginative colleagues. If nothing changes, the label has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Industry Roadblocks

A marketing director argues, “Our industry is different. Social media doesn’t work here.” Is this an observation that leads to an adapted strategy—maybe testing LinkedIn instead of Instagram, or running webinars instead of Facebook Lives? Or does it serve as proof that all new marketing ideas are a waste of time, leaving the company chronically stuck behind the curve?

Diagnosing External vs. Internal Problems

One of the trickiest places this dynamic plays out is in how we diagnose “internal” versus “external” problems. Personal limitations (like “I’m not disciplined”) and business context obstacles (“Our customers are price sensitive”) both need to be named if they’re going to be addressed. The key is not to confuse diagnosis with destiny. Just because the obstacle is real doesn’t mean it’s unchangeable.

• *Internal*: "I procrastinate." Action: Break projects into smaller tasks, use a timer, find an accountability group.
• *External*: "Our market is slow to respond to innovation." Action: Research successful case studies, pilot a small project, or host an educational webinar to move the market forward step by step.

When “That’s Just the Way It Is” Becomes Your Mantra

The biggest danger is when naming a problem is where the journey stops.

• If “I’m not good with technology” means you never use any new tools, you’re not just acknowledging reality—you’re stunting your own growth.
• If “Social media doesn’t work for us” means you never test new platforms, you’re missing shifts in customer behavior that could one day put you out of business.
• If “I’m not disciplined” means you don’t try systems or accountability strategies, you’re resigning yourself to subpar results.

This is when the label is doing more harm than the problem itself.

Knowledge is only power if it leads to action. Otherwise, it’s just a more credentialed way to defend the status quo.

How to Build the Muscle of Action

What separates people and businesses who improve from those who don’t isn’t their ability to name the problem—it’s what they do next.

• They look for small wins. Fix one bottleneck at a time.
• They seek outside input. A coach, mentor, or peer often sees solutions you miss.
• They pilot new approaches. It’s easier to experiment when you see the diagnosis as simply a starting point.
• They put accountability in place. Regular review or reporting keeps the process moving.
• Most importantly, they ask: What’s the next small action? Not: Why am I like this? But: What could I try tomorrow that’s different from yesterday?

Conclusion: The Power is in What You Do, Not What You Name

Understanding the problem is the beginning. But just like naming a monster in a story doesn’t banish it—only action has that power.

So the next time you put language to the obstacle in your way, pause and say to yourself: “Now that I know what to call it, what new action or possibility is open to me?” Write it down. Take one small, imperfect step.

Don’t let the label become your legacy. Turn it into leverage. Because awareness without action isn’t wisdom—it’s inertia in disguise.

Thanks for reading. This is your Santa Barbara web guy, rooting for your next action—and your next breakthrough.