Most of us have no problem coming up with perfectly valid
reasons for not taking action. Our excuses may temporarily make us feel better,
yet they do not bring any value to life. Excuses do not pay the bills, they do
not solve problems, they just allow us to justify not taking action.
We will look at a long list of excuses, of reasons not to
take action, and turn them on their head. For every excuse, a compelling answer
is offered to counteract it. The result is a list of powerful reasons for
taking action now.
1. What Would Other People Think?
Are you afraid of looking foolish for some reason? Why? You
know what you need to do, and you’re committed to doing it. Don’t worry about
looking foolish. What will really make you look foolish is if you just sit
around making excuses. An honest effort is nothing to be ashamed of. What other
people think is their problem, not yours. Let them think what they will. It
doesn’t matter. Do what needs to be done. Get on with it.
2. It’s Uncomfortable
Sure it is uncomfortable to take action. But what is so
great about comfort? Are you committed to comfort or to accomplishment? A cow
grazing in a pasture is comfortable. You are capable of much more. You have
possibilities to be explored, and to explore them you’ll need to get your hands
dirty. But a little discomfort right now is much less painful than the regret
you’ll eventually feel if you don’t ever take action. Discomfort can eventually
be overcome, but regret will never go away. Get up out of your comfort zone and
start making a difference.
3. I’ll Never Be As Good As ____
The only person you should compare yourself against is
yourself. Your obligation is to do your very best. Don’t worry about how that
compares to someone else. Just do it. Everyone is unique. Everyone has their own
special contribution to make. You’ll only discover yours by taking action. If you decide in advance that you’ll never be
as good as so-and-so, then you forgo the opportunity to find your own unique
skills. Winners refuse to even acknowledge the competition, by blazing new
trails. Comparing yourself to others will only bring you down. Set off in your
own unique direction. Get into action
make it happen.
4. It’s Too Complicated
Often a new task can appear complicated because you’re not
familiar with it. Once you dive in, once you get a little experience, you’ll
get the hang of it. Think of all the things you’ve learned in your life. You’re
good at learning, and the best way to learn is to start taking action. Whatever
you see as too complicated, there’s something about it that you can
understand. Use that as your starting
point. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
That’s how you learn. There’s no reason to be ashamed about not knowing something.
Everyone had to learn it at some point in time. Now is your time to learn. Dive
right in, take on the challenge, take action, learn, grow and you’ll accomplish
things you never thought possible.
5. It Will Take Too Long
Then you better get started as soon as possible. It will
take even longer if you sit around bemoaning the fact that it will take too
long. Great accomplishments take time and effort. And the most fulfilling part
of any accomplishment is not in finishing it, but in doing it. The journey is
the reward, so be thankful that you’ll be rewarded over a long period of
time. If the end result suddenly
appeared out of thin air, with no effort on your part, of what value would it
be? If it will take a long time, then it will be valuable and worthwhile. So by
all means get started as soon as possible. Start making it happen and enjoy the
long, fulfilling journey.
6. No One Will Care Whether I Do It Or Not
That’s not true. You will care, and you are someone. The
world is not anxious to hand success to you on a silver platter. If no one
cares about you, it is probably because you don’t care enough about anyone else
(or yourself for that matter) to do what it takes to make a life of
accomplishment for yourself. If you start taking focused, directed action
toward your goals, you can be sure that people will start to take notice. The world is indeed indifferent to those who
sit around and make excuses. If that’s
all you do, you’re right—no one will care. But if you stand up, step forward
and take action, you’ll be amazed at how many people are waiting to cheer you
on. What are you waiting for? Get busy and you’ll get noticed.
7. I Could Never Be Successful
Why not? What do you mean, “I could never”? Of course you
could. You could indeed. If it can be done, you can do it. You’ve got to want
it, of course. And if you want it
enough, you’ll do it. “I could never” is usually said wistfully, meaning “I
wish I could, but I can’t.” That’s preposterous. You can if you really want to.
Free yourself from your own limitations. What do you want to do? What will
fulfill the enormous potential of your life?
Certainly not hiding behind “I could never.” You are capable of truly
extraordinary accomplishments. You can do whatever you decide you’re going to
do. You can find a way. Have the courage to live your possibilities.
8. I’m Overwhelmed
Sometimes you’re just so overwhelmed, you feel like throwing
up your hands or crawling into a hole and curling up in the fetal position.
WRONG! That’s exactly what you must not do. When you’re overwhelmed, that’s all
the more reason to start taking the actions that will rectify your situation.
When you’re overwhelmed is when you’re the most frustrated and the most
motivated. Now is your chance to really take action with dedication and
commitment. Don’t blow the opportunity. The frustration you feel is good, solid
positive energy waiting to be released. If it is not released in a positive
direction, there is a very big danger that it will become destructive energy.
Use that frustration to your advantage. You’re overwhelmed? GREAT! Do something
about it right now. Quit complaining and start taking positive action. If
you’re overwhelmed it means that there are plenty of things which can be done,
things which will most likely make a difference very quickly. Pick something
and start doing it right now. As soon as you get busy your frustration will
start pushing you forward.
9. I Don’t Deserve To Succeed
You are just as good, just as worthy, just as valuable as
anyone. No one can intimidate you, no matter what kind of car they drive, or
what their business card says, or how big their house is, or how big their
factory is. No one is better than you.
You are the best there is. Inside you is the potential to do, or be, or have
anything you desire. No one has more than that. Some may have progressed
farther down the path at this moment, but that doesn’t make them any better
than you. If you start to take action right now, you will be working your way down
that same path. No matter what anyone says, or does, no matter what your
situation—personal, financial, social or otherwise—you can choose to live your
life in your own way. And there is no
greater success than that. But you must be the one to achieve your success.
Though no one can hold you back if you’re determined enough, by the same token
no one can do it for you. You’ve got to step up to the challenge, believe in
yourself, and do what it takes. Right now is a great time to start. You deserve
the best that life has to offer. Do whatever needs to be done to make it
happen.
10. It’s Too Hard
Anything worth having, or doing, or being, requires effort.
What if you could have whatever you wanted, again and again, just by snapping
your fingers? And what if everyone else could, as well? How much would you
value and appreciate the things you had? What would you do with your life, if
there was no need for effort? Where would you find meaning, what would give you
satisfaction? The value of effort is not
only in what it produces, but also in what it demands of you. The greatest
opportunity in life is not for a free ride. The greatest opportunity is to be
fully challenged, and to meet challenge with effective effort. The things we
value are the things to which, and for which, we give of ourselves. There is no
way around that. Some of the hardest
working people are those who are wealthy enough that they don’t need the money.
However, they do need the effort, and the accomplishment, and the challenge. We
all do. Without it, life is shallow and empty. Make the effort. Do it now.
Start today to meet the challenge.
11. I’m Too Tired
What are you tired of? Doing nothing can be just as tiring
as taking action. If you’re physically tired, then go to bed and get a good
night’s rest. Then get up in the morning and get started. Whatever you do
today, you’ll be tired tonight. You can be tired after a day of effective
effort and accomplishment, or you can be tired after a day of getting nowhere.
The choice is yours. If you’re going to be tired anyway, it makes sense to get
something out of it. To put forth your best effort, to move in the direction of
your goals, to make a difference, to make a life of excellence for yourself and
the world around you. Take action toward an exciting goal, and instead of being
tired you’ll be exhilarated.
12. It Won’t Matter Anyway
What you do, matters. You can make a difference if you
choose to do so. If there’s something that needs to be done, doing it will make
a difference. You know that. Thinking
that is won’t matter is just a petty rationalization. Of course it matters. If
it doesn’t then find something else that does. You are a creative, effective
person who is full of possibilities. The job at hand may not be the most
important thing in the history of the world, but if it gets you into action,
then it matters very much. Because no matter how small the effort or
consequence, it is a start. It revs up
the momentum of the intelligent, creative, productive person that you are. And
once you get going, there’s no telling how much you can accomplish. It all
starts with taking action. Don’t hide behind the thinking that it won’t matter.
Jump in and get started. It does matter. Do it now.
13. It’s No Fun
How do you know if you haven’t even started it yet? Most
things are precisely as enjoyable as we make them. Is making excuses fun? Look
at what you need to do, and realize that it is an exciting opportunity to make
a difference. Sure, there are probably tedious parts to the job. But look
beyond those. Look all the way to the end. Look at what you will be
accomplishing. It will probably be a lot more fun than you imagine. Just get
started and you’ll see.
14. I’m Afraid I Would Fail
You never fail—you always succeed in producing results. If
you don’t like the results you are producing, then you can learn from your
mistakes and change your strategy. By taking action, you will not fail. In
fact, the only way to fail is to not take action. By taking action you always
achieve a result. The result could very well be the achievement of your goal,
or it could be a learning experience that will eventually bring you to the goal
you desire. But you never fail. After Thomas Edison had tried 9,999 times to perfect
the light bulb, and had not succeeded, someone asked him if he was going to
have 10,000 failures. Edison replied that he had not failed— that he had just
discovered another way not to invent the electric light. Failure is simply not an option. Everything
you do has a result and eventually those results will lead you to the
achievement of whatever you desire.
15. I’m Not Committed to This
Then why are you even considering it? If it’s something you
know you need to do, then think about why. Find a reason that is meaningful and
compelling to you, why you must take action. You may not be committed to this
particular action, yet you need to do it because of something else to which
you’re committed. Remind yourself of what that is. Remind yourself of why it is
important. Get committed and do it, or move on to something else right now.
16. I’ll Do It as Soon as I Get Back On My Feet
Taking positive action toward your goals is precisely what
will GET you back on your feet. If you wait for conditions to be perfect, that
time will never come. Even if you could somehow get things perfect before
taking action, problems and obstacles would come along soon after you started
anyway, so why bother waiting. If something needs to be done, waiting will only
make your situation worse. Yes, there are problems to deal with. That’s part of the challenge. Just step right
in and start to work on the first problem. When that’s solved, get busy on the
next problem. Suddenly you’ll be making progress—infinitely more progress than
if you waited for things to be perfect before starting. Stop waiting for things
to be perfect. Start now. Get going. It’s the best thing you can do.
Check back soon for Excuse Buster #17 - "I'm too busy."
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