Debunking Your Excuses

We always think we’ll pursue our dreams in the proverbial “someday.” But guess what? Someday doesn’t always come. I don’t want to get to the end of life and realize I didn’t max out on my relationships, my goals and my purpose.

We’ve all got excuses for why we aren’t doing The Thing we know we’re supposed to do. I’ve done more than my fair share of procrastinating, and I look back with regret over time lost. (Making the most of my days now, that’s for sure.)

But rather than look back with regret, let’s get back on track. First, we need to look at the top 3 excuses people have for not pursuing their goals:

I Don’t Have the Talent

Pure fiction, my friends. Yes, people are born with a certain aptitude for this or that, but here’s a secret: every amazing skill has a smidgen of innate talent that’s refined with HARD WORK. And when I say hard work, I don’t mean piddling around an hour here or there, or even several hours every week for a few months.

Hard work means dedication and often refining the same skill over the course of years. Some experts say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master. That’s a lot more than dabbling!

So if you’re saying you don’t have the talent to become a photographer, painter, writer or dancer—stop whining and get to work! (Unless you want to become an astronaut…you might actually be out of luck.)

The No-Talent Myth: DEBUNKED

I Don’t Have Enough Money

If you want to start a business or quit your job and work at home, or any number of exciting ventures, it takes money. That part is true.

What’s wrong with this scenario is that you can’t even start pursuing your goals until you’re in the perfect position to take the leap. Take a moment and think of all the moving parts you can shift into place so that when you have enough money and resources to jump in, you’re prepared! Maybe you can change your schedule, research, practice with the resources you have. Only you know what you can do Right Now. And you also know if you’re just making an excuse.

The No-Money Myth: DEBUNKED

I Don’t Have Enough Time

This is the biggest one of all, and it’s really no wonder. We’re moving at a faster pace than ever, and seemingly every moment is consumed with Very Important Tasks.

However, we all have the same 24 hours. There are people out there with the same amount of time as you—some with even less–who are pursuing the same dream you’re putting off.

If you need help finding a few extra bits of time in your day, I addressed it in this post. While it’s particular to writers, the same principles can apply to anyone. If something matters to you, you’ll make time.

The No-Time Myth: DEBUNKED

We use excuses to cover deeper issues we don’t want to address. What are you covering up?

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Now that we’ve debunked the major excuses, let’s take a closer look at what might really be going on. You see, excuses are just that—excuses. We use them to cover up deeper issues that we don’t want to address.

Ask yourself, why am I really putting this off? Here are some possible answers:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of unforeseen consequences

I’m sure if you think about it, you can come up with your own list that applies directly to your situation.

The question is, what are you going to do about it? (Come back next week because I have some tips!)

For now, tell me…what’s your excuse?

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