From the archive

You didn't change your mind. You got scared

But say that, if it's true. Stop carrying the abandoned plan around as evidence of what you could have been. Stop telling people you're about to begin when you've quietly decided you never will. And if you still want it, admit the other possibility: you're scared. That's an uncomfortable sentence. It doesn't make you impressive. It also gives you something more honest to work with than “the timing isn't ideal.” I'd rather hear “I want this, and I'm afraid I'll fail” than another polished lecture about why doing nothing was the only intelligent option.