What is the right word?

Question

My global friends,Please tell me the right "adjective" that can best describe the following situation, if there is such "adjective". For example, when I am playing basketball, although my position is not very good, I have intended to jump and shoot the ball into the basket, but at that very moment I see a friend of mine under the basket and he is actually free (unguarded) and he is shouting to me so that I will pass the ball to him. However, at that moment I feel very ................ (please provide the adjective) and I just throw the ball towards the basket and not towards my friend.I am going to say something like, I am just about to throw the ball towards the basket, or I am just a few fraction of a second to do it and I don't feel nice changing my plan suddenly by throwing the ball towards my friend. How would you discribe that situation?Sorry, I sound a bit too long. Thank you very much.

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

hotheaded, fiery, impetuous, stubborn?

Tjang Kian Liong · Answer

I am not very sure, but I tend not to think so. Stubborn tends to be bad. I don't mean to say it is really bad. Another example: the telephone rings, but my hands are full of soap. I say to my sister, "Please answer the phone for me. I am ............. and I will finish washing my hands first."

I begin to believe there is no single word in English that can show this situation. But if any or the readers know the Indonesian (or perhaps Malay) language, we can say ,"Please answer the phone for me. Saya lagi "kagok" and I will finish washing my hands first."

Sorry for using a language not many people understand worldwide.

J Lewis · Answer

For the phone example you could say "busy", "occupied" or "tied up", but obviously it's not appropriate for the basketball situation.

It's a difficult one!

Zerox · Answer

How about just confident. You choose to throw the ball, maybe quite sure that you can make it, instead of passing the ball to your friend.

Nona the brit · Answer

So it's a situation where you feel you should do one thing (pass to your friend, answer the phone) but you do something else instead (shoot for the hoop, wash your hands)? Have I got that right?

I can't think of an English word for that without a negative connotation (selfish?), but you say this is not a negative word you are looking for.

Hmmm...tricky.

contrary? Although again this is a little bit negative.

Annvan · Answer

Is this about the feeling that you need to finish what you've started?

BarbaraPA · Answer

What about "you caught me midstream." Right in the middle of something that you have to finish.

Marius Hancu · Answer

ZeroxHow about just confident. You choose to throw the ball, maybe quite sure that you can make it, instead of passing the ball to your friend.

Not a bad word, as a matter of fact.

The_Songster · Answer

Confident would be the best word that fits your description.

Tjang Kian Liong · Answer

First, thank you all for trying to help me. To be honest, I have not found the word that I want, I am sorry. By the way, once somebody told me the expression for that situation is "up to", but I am not very sure. The following dialog may show the context better:

Mother: "Sue, come here and bring me a pair of scissors, please."

Sue: "I am sorry, mom. I am writing my homework."

Mother: "Come on, Sue. It will just take a minute."

Sue: "A minute mom. I just have to write a few more words. Now, I am up to." (Is 'up to' the right expression?)

Global friends, I hope you see what "adjective" I am trying to find. Here, confident, stubborn, and other words mentioned above don't seem to suit well.

Thank you.

What is the right word?

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