We all make excuses from time to time. Some people make a whole lot of excuses, while others make little to none. And if you’ve found yourself hopping from one excuse to another more often than you’d like, then this article on how to stop making excuses is for you.
With that being said, if you’re ready to find out how it’s possible to make excuse-making a thing of the past, let’s dive in to find out.
How to Stop Making Excuses
Do you find yourself saying No to your goals more often than you say Yes? Do you find that when you do follow through with something, you have to continuously make excuses as to why it took so long? While excuses may seem harmless at first, they only hold you back from achieving your goals and dreams.
The sooner you eliminate them from your life, the sooner you can become the person that accomplishes everything they want in life.
I have good news and bad news… there comes a time in your life when you feel the need to make a shift from making excuses to taking responsibility. And it is never too late to make a change for the better!
Whatever age or phase of your life you may be in, when you stop making excuses, you start to grow exponentially as a person. You start to move from being reactive (nothing is happening in my life) to being proactive (I am capable and responsible to improve this thing in my life).
Yet, beware! Going from making excuses to taking responsibility is not automatic; baby steps & careful effort will get you there. Here are the fundamental tools that will help you change your life with this transition:
To Stop Making Excuses, Dive Deeper
Have you ever wondered why people make excuses? Is it entirely because everyone is too lazy or too irresponsible? Maybe! But here’s the catch: Often, making excuses is a superficial reaction to something deeper that is going on inside us. We are complex beings and sometimes we hide a lot of our emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, or stress, under the surface.
Figure out why you’re making an excuse. Write it down. See what you need to process that emotion in a healthy way.
Part of what allows us to make so many excuses is that we don’t always realize how much we use them. Think about your day and note five common reasons you didn’t complete a task or reach a goal.
When you do it, you might notice something like you can’t work out today because you only had an hour, you didn’t go grocery shopping because you didn’t feel like it, or you couldn’t clean your house yesterday because your sister needed help with her homework.
You can probably identify your own specific types of excuses after doing something similar for yourself.
By cutting out common excuses—I am too busy, I don’t have enough money, I deserve a break—we give ourselves permission to get things done.
By setting new boundaries—I will work out at 6 p.m., If I get paid tomorrow then I am allowed to go buy groceries on Sunday morning—we demonstrate our commitment to being successful.
Sometimes all it takes is recognizing that, instead of being too tired to exercise, maybe you are just not in a hurry right now. Recognizing these patterns in your behavior helps cut through the confusion and allows you to refocus your energy on getting things done right away.
Decide Where You Want to Go
Start with a problem that you want to solve or a goal that you want to achieve. Then ask yourself what you need in order to get there—goals, tools, skills?
Don’t hesitate to do a little research on how to set clear goals. Once you’ve done your research, get to work on making them happen.
Break down your long-term objective into smaller steps and use your milestones as motivation along the way. You might find it helpful to keep a journal or start a milestone checklist of things you’ve accomplished so far and check off each item when it’s done.
Celebrate your successes no matter how small!
To Stop Making Excuses Take Action
Are you someone who finds yourself making excuses very frequently about something? Here’s a powerful way to stop doing that: Take action, and it doesn’t matter how small the action is.
When you take that first step, that will help you stop making excuses. Small action steps on a daily basis are an effective way to eliminate those excuses.
Need to write something? Open the document or your notebook and write the first line. Starting a new fitness program? Do one exercise for one minute. Thinking about a change for the better in your career? Write down one reason why you want this.
Set Goals
Taking action is a gradual process. In order to get rid of the vicious cycle of making excuses, set small goals. These goals will act like benchmarks that will give you the necessary push & motivation to keep going. Small steps and small rewards will add up to great results.
So even if the results are too small to be visible right now, your results will be visible over time. I promise!
Embrace The Journey
The process to stop making excuses is one that asks you to challenge yourself to be a better person. It’s worth it so you can enjoy a better life! It is a step-up call that you’re planning to answer. Right?
Stepping out of your comfort zone is totally OK, just remind yourself to enjoy the adventure. And you don’t have to succeed the first time. But every time you try, you will be a step closer to success and closer to your results.
So, instead of being afraid of the changes, embrace the fear & emotions that come with them completely. In many cases, you can re-label the fear as excitement. And let go of any judgment.
Just observe & release.
Leverage Your Support Systems
Here’s the thing about making changes in life. Many times we assume (wrongly!) that we have to win all our battles alone. When it comes to stop making excuses, you will benefit from some objective feedback from a wise & neutral person.
This solves the stickiness and gets you into your new, improve habit patterns. If you feel like things are a bit too overwhelming for you right now, trust yourself to reach out.
Remember, all you need to stop making excuses is take that first step. Get going right now!
