Your excuses are powerful – but they are not more powerful than you.
Excuses are the handy ‘go-to’ option when the change we are trying to create feels scary. But rather than acknowledging that fear, we come up with all sorts of excuses.
Look, people make excuses not because they are lazy or incapable, but because excuses keep us feeling safe.
The mind interprets change as something dangerous. Change introduces the discomfort of uncertainty so, excuses protect us from that discomfort, the fear of failure or judgment, and sometimes even the fear of success. Excuses give us a story that sounds reasonable enough to believe… at least for long enough to deplete our motivation.
But the uncomfortable truth is that every excuse you use just keeps you stuck exactly where you are.
Excuses Are Clever—And Dangerous
Excuses are really good at disguises, with the main disguise being logic. You can think and talk yourself out of anything, and especially when you hide your fears behind rationality.
- “I’ll start when I have more time.”
- “I’m not ready yet.”
- “The kids need me right now.”
- “I don’t have the money.”
These all seem like reasonable, rational and acceptable reasons not to pursue something, right? But they aren’t. They are the mind’s tactics to keep you from stepping into discomfort and unfamiliarity. They are simply handy excuses that have you stopping before you even start.
Be stronger than your excuses ~ Tony Robbins
Being stronger than your excuses doesn’t mean bulldozing your way through life or ignoring real challenges. It means choosing progress over comfort, even when your motivation is low.
Being stronger means:
- Showing up when you don’t feel like it
- Taking imperfect action instead of waiting for perfect conditions
- Doing the difficult thing quietly, consistently, and without applause
You don’t need to commit to some massive or extraordinary effort; you just need small actions repeated daily.
Excuses start to disappear once you start taking action
Once you start taking action – no matter how small – your mental resistance will begin losing its grip and you will begin creating momentum. Baby steps will get you to the top of Mt. Everest provided you keep putting one foot in front of the other.
You don’t become strong before you act. You become strong because you act.
So, next time you catch yourself hesitating due to some excuse, ask yourself:
“What is one thing I can do right now that will keep me moving forward?”
And then go do that.
That’s how you become stronger than your excuses.
