I couldn’t work out why I was unsuccessful.

Surely making lots of money was the answer. Surely having an amazing social life and hanging out with the cool kids was the answer. Surely looking successful mattered.

On the surface, I look liked I was surrounded by success. The inner game gave me a different answer. You may be able to “FAKE IT, ” but you can’t fool the inner you. No one can, sorry to say.

The ugly word that is getting in the way of your success like a pimple on a Saturday night before you head to a dinner party is that word excuses.

Like the title of the book I’ve never read, “Excuses Be Gone,” I’m going to reveal (and remind) you of the excuses that have been sabotaging you.

These are the 7 hidden excuses that are standing in the way of your success:

Excuse 1: I’ll start tomorrow

There’s this phenomenon in personal development called the 5-second rule. It says that if you get an idea and don’t take one small action within five seconds, you’ll forget it. Telling yourself that you will start tomorrow is an excuse that will stop you from ever getting started.

Our minds are so forgetful because of all the useless information and distractions that now plague our lives. Failing to start is the number one problem when it comes to being successful. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to start feeling successful sooner rather than later.

Starting something tomorrow doesn’t feel that far away. That’s the lie we tell ourselves which consistently produces the same outcome: no action. A better way to think is that if you take one very small step right now, you’ll feel ten times better.

Taking action towards your dream is one of the best feelings you can have. Isn’t that far better than waiting until tomorrow for nothing to happen?

Tomorrow (noun)

A mystical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation and achievement is stored. Tomorrow will never come…there’s only ever today.

Excuse 2: I’m too old

What do you define as old? We all think we are old, even the eleven-year-old kid next door playing on his slide. Your age has no bearing on your capability.

I’ve seen ninety-year-old seniors do more awesome stuff than a person who’s twenty-five and has all the resources, education and great mentors in the world.

There’s a champion runner named Jules Winkler who is still running marathons in his eighties. Makes me feel like a lazy bastard. Jules thinks he’s still got what it takes and focuses on being disciplined. He eats well (most of the time), tries not to stress, trains in the gym, continues to learn new techniques and believes in finishing strong.

Most of us would think he’s nuts. I think he’s a normal person with a well-adapted mindset who is living his life to the fullest rather than being smothered over the head with excuses.

Excuse 3: I’m not ready

Geez, will you ever be? Sometimes being unprepared allows you to do things impromptu. That’s how I learned public speaking. I still suck though, but I’m getting better. Where you can, prepare like a crazy. I find that leaving the last five or ten percent to chance gives a human element to your craft.

Trying to be always ready is a sign of perfectionism. Even when we think something is spot on, it still could be seen as horrible to the masses. What you think is valuable could be total garbage. I’d encourage you to get started and find your “readiness” during the process of action.

Excuse 4: I don’t like that

I’ve got news for you: you’ll only become successful when you get used to doing the stuff you don’t like. Living in comfort is a fantastic way to go nowhere in life and become unfulfilled.

“When you do things you don’t like, you learn to love them”

I got asked to look after the business continuity program at my company. I’ll cut the big words out and explain what that is for you. When a terrorist attack happens, it’s my job to figure out what the hell we would do. Who would we call? Where would people work from? You get the idea.

It seemed horrible until I did it. It’s a valuable skill to have and yes I do feel like a police officer sometimes. I’m glad we were thinking the same thing so let’s move on.

Excuse 5: What if I fail?

No need to even ask this question. Everything you try will fail more times that it will succeed. Want to start a business? You’re in for an overdose of failure. I failed at seven businesses before I had any success. If you don’t like failure, then you’re probably not going to fall in love with success.

Once you accept failure is guaranteed, you’ll feel far freer. You’ll have the right set of expectations married with a beautiful mindset. Isn’t that cute huh? Not.

Excuse 6: It’s not finished

It never will be. I meet people all the time who live in a constant state of working on a project that no one ever gets to see. Put on your big boy (or girl) pants and release something into the world. Then, get feedback and make it better.

“Without feedback, you’ll think you painted the Mona Lisa when you’ve actually painted a giant, ugly turd”

Excuse 7: What I say in my head doesn’t matter

I’ve been reading the book “The Inner Game.” It’s nuts because it’s a book about Tennis – that’s what I thought anyway. Once I got into it, I realized it was a book about the game that happens inside your head.

It turns out that the conversation you have with yourself affects your tennis shot. This fact doesn’t just apply in tennis; it is also relevant in any other passion that you seek to be successful at. We have these nasty conversations with ourselves all day.

We tell ourselves we’re not smart enough, attractive enough, experienced enough, etc. This type of conversation is the exact reason why you could be standing in the way of your own success. Tell yourself the truth without so much harsh judgment.

As the conversation in your head improves, so will your success.

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net