Having worked mostly on refactoring projects in the last few years, I've learned that too many projects end up in the gutter because "that's just the way it is"

Having worked mostly on refactoring projects in the last few years, I've learned that too many projects end up in the gutter because "that's just the way it is" was the mindset of too many developers working on them when they faced resistance like tight deadlines or faced with spaghetti code they didn't want to deal with. Applying to real-life, this means making excuses for goals or habits you want to achieve, instead of finding clever solutions to meet them. Example: you want to develop a habit of listening to podcasts or audiobooks. But excuses like "I don't have a commute with dead time to listen to them" or "I can't focus if I listen to while I work" pop up. You could just say to yourself "that's just the way it is" and not bother developing the habit. Or you can push through the resistance, get creative and figure out other ways to make the time for the habit. Personally as I don't have a commute to work and can't listen while I work, I listen in pockets of time like when I'm in the shower or going in-between meetings.