Are Excuses Killing Your Dreams?

March 3, 2017

Today I wanted to veer off the well-trodden trail of personal finance and write a kick-in-the-@$$ motivational post. I am a firm believer in having an internal locus of control and not blaming anyone else for my position in life. I have had many peaks and valleys and have learned valuable lessons about life and myself at every turn. I’m here to tell you that it IS possible to change almost any situation in your life by changing the way you think about it. Every problem has a solution. You just have to find it. Have you found yours? Have you even started looking yet? Let’s take a look at some of the biggest excuses people tell themselves to justify their positions and simultaneously hold themselves back from living the life they truly want to live! 

The Top 10 Excuses That Hold People Back

  1. I Can’t Do That
    • That’s true, you probably can’t do that. Instead, you should keep doing what you’re doing and continue complaining about not doing that. Productive! 
    • Let’s try this again. Maybe you can’t do that right now, but if you put your mind to it, you can probably figure out a way to do that, or something very similar, in the future.
  2. I’m Not Smart Enough
    • Now that you mention it, you do kinda seem like a dummy. 
    • Stop it! Is it that you’re not smart enough or that you don’t want to or choose to invest the time necessary to make it happen? I’m guessing it’s likely the latter. In which case, it sounds like it’s not a priority, and that’s okay. But don’t say you’re not smart enough, I think we both know that isn’t true.
  3. I Don’t Have Any Time
    • Yeah, your schedule is so totally unbelievable that I’m sure there isn’t even a shred of time to read a blog post. 
    • Hmm…if you’re reading this, I think you have a little free time each day. That means you DO have time! So go use it to achieve your goals instead of reading this!
  4. I Don’t Know Anything About It
    • Well in that case, forget about it. 
    • You know there is such a thing as learning about something? If you have a passion for it, start devouring everything you possibly can on the subject. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll learn the ropes and become an expert in your field.
  5. I Had A Rough Childhood
    • Yeah, yeah, yeah, me too. What else ya got?
    • Having a rough childhood isn’t an excuse. In fact, it should actually be used as a motivator. Use what you have! Turn your past misfortunes into desire. Use that desire to change your future. Go.
  6. I Don’t Have Any Money
    • Uh, yep, been there too. Next.
    • Not having access to funds definitely makes things a bit more difficult, but certainly not impossible. There is no rule preventing anyone who is poor from becoming successful in their endeavors.
  7. I Never Get A Break
    • I’m willing to bet this isn’t true. But it’s a great general excuse!
    • C’mon, you know this isn’t true. Your entire life has not been an uphill battle. Even if you had a rough time or are having a rough time, there is surely something or someone that brings you joy. Focus on the positive and use those things and people to make great things happen for YOU.
  8. I Didn’t Go To College
    • Last time I checked, some of the most successful people in the world never stepped foot inside a college classroom. This is definitely not a requirement for your success. 
    • On the flip side, if your dream requires a college education, then go get one. You can get a degree without dropping tons of cash. I did. You can also get a degree part-time and even online if time and money are concerns. It might not be easy, but it IS possible.
  9. My Parents Didn’t Teach Me “X”
    • Haha, my parent’s didn’t teach me “X”, either. This is a really poor excuse.
    • This is another situation where you need to go out and learn it on your own. Once you become an adult, it really is YOUR responsibility to make up for all the shortcomings of your parents. No one had or has perfect parents. They love you and they did the best they could and you should be thankful. Don’t blame them for you not taking action to reach your goals.
  10. The World Is Out To Get Me
    • This is probably one of the best catch-all excuses of all time. I don’t even know what that means!
    • Let’s get something straight – you’re not that important. The WORLD is not out to get YOU. Change your mindset and start thinking about what you need to do to reach your goal. Then start taking steps to make it happen.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

So what’s holding you back? Or have you already turned your life around? Did you have a rough start or live through something terrible and now you feel like you can handle anything? Tell us your story and motivate someone today!

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12 Comments

  • Very motivational counters to the excuses an individual can come up with!

    You’re on the spot with #3! I pretty much spent the rest of my day after work laying in bed when I should have been working on my side business and hobbies. Looks like I just have to sit myself down and do it.

    Reply
    • A friend used to tell me that excuses are what we tell ourselves because nobody else believes us. I think there is truth in that. Don’t beat yourself up, you obviously thought you needed the rest more than working on your side hustles. I’m guessing it’s not a pattern 😉

      Reply
  • “The journey of 1000 miles starts with a step.” – Lao Tzu.

    The biggest thing for someone is to take a single step. Create momentum for yourself and don’t stop. It’s the concept of compounding!

    Thanks for the list, I enjoyed it.

    Reply
    • Thanks! It was fun to write and there is truth in a lot of it. Common excuses are just that…excuses. If someone is passionate about something they shouldn’t let anything stop them from going after it!

      Reply
  • These are all very accurate for most people. My issue has always been more procrastination and rationalization than excuses. I always believed I was smart, hard-working, and could accomplish anything…tomorrow. The realization that life’s too short to put it off kicked me into gear and got me to stop wasting time on meaningless things. Great post, see you around!

    Ryan

    Reply
    • YES! I forgot the, “I’ll do it tomorrow” excuse. That can be #11 🙂

      Reply
  • Thanks for the a$$-kickr :-).

    Related to #4 –> it is astonishing how quicly you can become an expert or knowledgeable about things. Read a book or two about a subject and chances are you know more than 75% of people about the topic. Read 3-4 books and maybe take a free MOOC and you know more than 99% of the population. Information is so easy to get by nowadays.

    Reply
    • Oh my gosh, I LOVE MOOC’s. I’ve taken a few and have been amazed at the quality of education you can receive – for FREE. I even did a presentation about them at work a few years back. I think I reached 1 person who took action. They’re a great, underutilized educational resource!

      Reply
  • The one I hear a lot, similar to I can’t do it, is it will just fail so I shouldn’t try. My grandfather use to say excuses are like &$@holes, everyone has them. A hard working person gets over them and makes &$@: happen.

    Reply
  • I’ve heard all these, and they get so annoying. As the old saying goes, if you tell yourself you can or you tell yourself you can’t – you’re right. We all have plenty of reasons why we can’t succeed. Some of us are dealt a better hand in life than others-no sense in dwelling on it or complaining about it. All we can do is play the hand we’re dealt.

    Reply
    • Thank you! I, obviously, couldn’t agree with you more!

      Reply

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