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.
17. I’m Too Busy
What are you accomplishing with all that busy-ness? Simply
being “busy” gets you nowhere. Stop being busy, evaluate your priorities, and
start taking focused, directed action. Anyone can be busy, but so what? Accomplish requires more than just burning up
time. Accomplishment demands action and results. Stop being busy and start
doing something today.
18. I Can’t Decide
If you are having trouble deciding on a course of action,
then there’s probably not all that much difference between the various choices.
Evaluate them all objectively and sincerely. Project each choice into the
future. If you still cannot decide which course of action would be best, just
choose one. You can always make adjustments along the way. Going forward is
much better than being paralyzed by the inability to make a decision. The
optimal decision is the one that gets you where you want to go, and for that to
happen you must pick one and make it work.
19. I Can Always Do It Later
Yes, that’s right. You can always do it later. And when it’s
later, you’ll probably say the same thing. Nothing gets done by putting it off
until later. The fact is, you are alive and making decisions right now. Right
now is the period of time over which you have control. Right now is the time
that’s available for you to take action. Action that is not taken now, doesn’t
get taken. As you’re reading this, try to do something next week. Really put out all the effort you can to get
something done next week. Were you able to do it? Of course not. Because next
week isn’t here, and it never will be. It is always now, and now is the time to
act. Do it now and it will get done.
20. I’ve Already Tried
Trying is not enough. The only way to accomplish something
is to do it, to do whatever it takes, to keep making the effort until the goal
is reached. If at first you don’t
succeed, you’ve still learned something valuable about how to proceed. If
you’ve already tried, that’s fine. Keep going.
Make use of that experience. You’ve got a valuable perspective on what
works and what doesn’t. Stop trying and start taking whatever action is
necessary to reach the goal. Learn from the mistakes and disappointments. Keep going. Start right now to really make it
happen.
21. I Don’t Know Where to Start
There is always something you can do, some step that will
start to move you in the direction of your goal. Envision the ultimate goal,
and work backwards, step by step, until you arrive at something that can be
done right now. Then do it. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step.” Take that step right now, and then the next one. Repeat until
done.
Check back soon for Excuse Buster 22 of 22: "Why Not?"
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