Excuses are true sometimes. They still don’t move the boxes.

Reasons and results sit in different columns. Your reason can be completely legitimate and the boxes will still be exactly where you left them, because an explanation has never once performed a task. Knowing that is not cruelty towards yourself. It just stops you spending your energy on the account of why instead of on the work.

When something slips, give the reason once, briefly, then say what you will do and by when. Skip the long version, even to yourself. Then move one box, literally or otherwise, before you do anything else.