15 Excuses That Are Killing Your Success Now (And How To Stop Making Them)

It's easy enough to feel discouraged when life gets in the way of your goals. You have too much work, too little time, or maybe there are just one too many excuses to choose from. But you know what? Life is always going to be an obstacle course, so you might as well start using those obstacles as fuel for your success!

That's why we put together this post with 15 excuses that are killing your success now (and how to stop making them). Think about it; if anything should be causing you concern it's these lame old excuses that should come first on the chopping block!

1. “I Don't Have Time!"

You have to make time for the things that are truly important in your life, it's true. But sometimes you might be making excuses for things that you could actually accomplish in minutes if you simply put your mind to them. For example, how long does it take to clean out your email inbox? Most people think it takes half an hour or more, but the truth is most of us just don't want to do it. We would rather keep saving messages and putting them off until later, when suddenly two months have gone by and we are so bogged down trying to catch up that we never actually manage to put our house in order.

So how about making sure you make time for these little things? It doesn't involve a whole lot of extra effort just stop letting your inbox control your life! Take a look at it and delete the stuff you don't need, then start to tackle the deeper messes that are now holding you back. Don't let the little things steal from your success.

2. "Life is so complicated!"

Yes, life is complicated and can be overwhelming at times, but really, it's not that hard actually, chances are it'll take less time to figure things out than you think. And if you find yourself really, really stuck? Ask for help. It's easier than you think to get some advice from people in your life who can help; it often takes ten times less effort than dealing with all the causes and complications that come from being completely alone.

If you have any questions or concerns at all, don't wait until you are totally lost in the sucky stuff talk to someone! You could be making a lot of progress that way. Plus, if you ever decide to tackle the big questions on your own, at least now you won't be blind-sided by how tough it can be!

3. “I'll do it later!"

You know, right now you are probably sitting somewhere with a laptop or tablet in your lap. And what's the first thing you reach for when you need to take care of something? The Internet, right? You're probably online right now reading this and if you've been online as long as we have, you're likely guilty of spending way too much time there. It's ok; we all do it. But the truth is that all of this screen time is really sucking up all of our precious moments and making them less productive.

Take a look at your latest to-do list. Are there things in there that could be accomplished using a tool other than the Internet? Any chance you could use a paper planner? An old-fashioned to-do list? Heck, go old school with a pen and paper, we guarantee you'll still get it done! Plus, you might just get a lot more sleep when it's not 2am and you can't stop thinking about the G+ post you had planned on writing last week.

4. “I Can't Right Now!"

So you've got a whole lot of things going on right now, and you're grateful that you do. You're probably busier than you have been in years, and it might seem like there's absolutely no possible way that you could be doing anything else right now. But how long can you actually afford to stay this busy? Does it make your business more productive or more stressful? It's time to figure out what's really important, because as a rule of thumb, if we simply keep ourselves really busy we usually end up staying really busy and never get around to the stuff that matters most!

You need to prioritize if you want to succeed. So take a look at your long list of tasks, and decide if they are truly important or just inevitable. Then find a way to cut the rest of them down, so you can focus on just a few things at once and accomplish more. You're going to be fine as long as you keep track of what you're doing and set realistic goals for yourself. In the end, success is about planning ahead and having the courage to say "no" when it's really necessary.

5. “I'll start next month!"

If you've been dreaming of starting your own business, this excuse is probably not in your vocabulary. In fact, if you're a dreamer by nature, then you probably already have a whole lot of good ideas and projects rolling around in your head at any given time. And we totally get it; you definitely should have a vision and the motivation to stick to it! But before you get any further into the process of actually starting up a new project, make sure that you are aware of all the steps that need to come next.

If you don't use a project management tool like Basecamp, then make sure to work on some of your business management skills. If you have a blog, then think about how you can start monetizing a portion of the traffic you get on it. If you're writing novels, start by getting the first few chapters written and maybe even try to find an agent, there are many ways to move ahead on your dream, but only if you get started now!

6. “I'll learn as I go!"

A lot of businesses fail because they don't understand that they need an organized process and system in place before they begin. But at the same time, it's a big misconception that you need to be an expert on all things business before you even get started. This is why so many entrepreneurs make such great employees or business partners, because they understand the power of learning as you go.

Here's some news: every successful entrepreneur has made a lot of mistakes. They've learned as they went. So develop a basic plan that works for you and commit to learning as much as possible along the way only then will your company grow and become something truly amazing!

7. “I don't know where to start!"

Sometimes we get stuck by the feeling that we don't know what to do, or how to go about getting started with a task. It's an important feeling because it means you are aware of the fact that you need help with something! We'll be the first to say that you should never try and power through something by yourself if it's not working, or if you truly don't know how. Get some help!

If nothing else, consider hiring someone who is truly good at what they do. You may be shocked to find that your dream task can cost $200, but how would you rate the quality of a project you could complete for that price? Is it worth hiring an expert who can get the job done in a third of the time it would take you? See, some days it's ok to say “I don't know where to start" and actually mean it. Because then at least you'll be getting started, with the right help!

8. “I can't afford it!"

A lot of people have this weird idea that successful entrepreneurs are rich, and that they probably have a lot of cash in their wallets at all times. But the truth is, success in business can come in all shapes and sizes. Some people go from their starter jobs to owning multi-million dollar franchises in just a few short years. Other people may take years and years to build up their wealth, only for it to be enough for them to start a great business!

Hiring an expert may not seem like an option at first; but if you decide that it actually is, then you won't be held back by the lack of money. Set aside what you have left over after paying taxes, pay your bills, give some money away to charity, or work extra shifts at work and then figure out how much money you need to get started. Don't let your financial status or lack of available cash be an excuse for not making progress.

9. “I'm just getting started!"

Don't you hate it when you hear the excuse "just getting started" or “this is my first day on the job!"? It makes us wonder what they were doing before. And we guarantee that it makes us feel a little bit like we have no right to be as successful as they are.

Much of what we mentioned already is actually not an excuse; it's simply a matter of perspective and experience. The reality is that many people get started by taking one step at a time, and without any sort of plan in place. You don't need a master plan for your place of business, but you do need to know what needs to be done, and how much work it takes to do it. Find an idea for a product or service, get some tools, and get started doing that!

10. “I could never sell all this stuff!"

You're going to look at the overwhelming amount of stuff you have and start feeling like you don't have the intestinal fortitude required to actually sell it. We get it; we've been there! Before you make the choice to get rid of some of your things, consider how much money you could make by selling off the items that are worth something.

You may also want to consider renting out some of your item while you find a new home for them. There are lots of creative ways to make money from your things! And if you decide to keep a lot of what you have, give yourself permission for that too. In fact, change your perspective completely and think about how awesome it will be when you have only the best stuff in your apartment!

11. “I'll sell it on eBay!"

Maybe you've heard of this conversation before. It's something that lots of people have been doing since eBay first opened shop, and lots of companies have employed this as a way to turn their unwanted items into cash. But we have to be real; while selling on eBay is a great way to make some money, it's not the best choice for every product or service out there.

There's a reason why some products are priced so high; research should be done before you choose to get rid of your non-perishable items! And when it comes to selling your things on eBay, just consider how long you're willing to wait for the money. First off, eBay will only give you a fraction of the money your item could bring from a broker or direct sale. Secondly, you'll be paying for shipping and other hidden costs on top of it all. No matter how you look at it, you'll probably be better off putting that money toward an agent or a fee-based site instead.

12. “I'm too busy!"

Let's say that you actually have the power to implement some of our previous tips and make some real changes to the way things are going in your life... that you are actually going to try and make those changes! And it turns out that the things you were so afraid of doing were actually pretty simple!

For example, instead of buying a bunch of useless stuff for your small apartment, why don't you sell some of your things on eBay. Or maybe instead of keeping all the clothes that don't fit anymore, why don't you donate them? It's much more rewarding to give something that has been sitting in your closet away to a homeless person than it is to keep it just because it was once in style or because you got too busy.

It's easy to feel like we have no time right now or to feel as though we have too many responsibilities to make any real changes. But change doesn't have to be complicated; it just needs to be something you decide you really want and are willing to commit your time and efforts towards. Once you start actually doing the things that can help you improve your life, it's going to feel so good!

13. “I don't have the money for it!"

What's the first thing you think of when somebody says "I'm going to a fancy restaurant tonight" or “I'm going on vacation" or “I'm buying a new car"? If you are like most people, then your first thought is probably related to how much money they had.

We have to say that just about everyone probably spends way too much money on things that aren't really necessary, or on things that they don't even necessarily need. We know that it's easy to see a shiny new item and think “I'm going to spend all this money on a new car or I'm going to spend the money on my vacation." But the truth is, you already have the choices in your life where it comes to buying fancy cars, fancy vacations, or fancy clothes. You can do those things with what you've already got!

At the end of the day, we'd rather be spending our money on lots of other great purchases than on things we don't necessarily need. And that's exactly what we want you to be doing!

14. “Well, I'm broke!"

We know that this is an extremely common excuse for not making any sort of change in your life, and it really needs to stop. Money isn't everything; we can make do with many things without an abundance of it, and we will be able to find purpose in many other things that money can't buy.

We have to say we have been completely shocked by the amount of people who are too broke or poor to make any sort of change in their lives or who are unwilling to even try when they've got enough cash in their bank account. There's just not an excuse for this behavior, and we'd like to think that you are at least a little bit smarter than that!

15. “I don't want to waste my time going places to get these things."

Just because you live in a small apartment doesn't mean you have to constantly be shopping for more things or looking for replacement items. That's just not a good way to live, and we wouldn't recommend it. There are many different ways you can make better use of your time when you aren't looking for new things; there are lots of enjoyable things you can do to increase the quality of your life.

Finally

Now that we've given you 15 things that you shouldn't do here's the thing we really want to leave you with: they are just excuses. Every single one of them! And they have no place in your life, especially if you really want to make some big changes. So make a promise to yourself right now that you will stop using these excuses and start making the positive changes that are going to bring about positive change in your life!

If there is any one thing that we want for you today, it's a bit of perspective. We know how easy it is just to use these common excuses when it comes to trying and making real changes in our lives.