“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” ~ Bob Moawad

Excuses

You have a dream inside of you—something that makes you feel giddy, energizes you, and excites you. But every time you think about it, you come up with a laundry list of reasons why you can’t just go for it. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The number one way people sabotage their dreams is by letting that pile of excuses hold them back. Below are the top 6 excuses that may be keeping you from pursuing your dream, and what you can do about them. Don’t let these excuses stand in your way anymore.

Top 6 Excuses Standing In The Way of Your Dream

Excuse #1: I’m not ___ enough

Not young enough, smart enough, or good enough? These are just limiting beliefs, they’re not truths. Catch yourself when these doubts pop up and find something positive and encouraging to say about yourself instead.

“All I can tell you really is if you get to the point where someone is telling you that you are not great or not good enough, just follow your heart and don’t let anybody crush your dream.” ~ Patti LaBelle

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Excuse #2: I don’t have the money

Consider how much money you actually need and find creative ways to get it. Chances are you haven’t even put pen to paper to figure out how much money is required to live this dream. Don’t compromise your dream before you even explore it. If there’s a will, there’s a way.

“Don’t ever let the lack of money stop you from realizing your dreams.” ~ Wayne Dyer

Excuse #3: I don’t have time

You have the power to make time for the stuff that matters to you. You get to choose whether or not you prioritize your dreams. Are you engaged in any time-wasting activities? What can you accomplish more efficiently? What can you outsource to someone else? Create and carve out the time—you have it.

“I intend to take time for myself to live the life that I came here to live, and to do it without ignoring my responsibilities as a parent, spouse, or employee.” ~ Wayne Dyer

Excuse #4: I’ve already started down one path, I can’t change direction

Every day you make decisions about how you live your life. Give yourself permission to change direction—no matter how much time, energy, or money you’ve already invested in another endeavor, relationship, or job. Life is all about twists and turns—be open to a new direction.

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Excuse #5: I’m too scared

It’s natural to be scared of the activities that most excite you. Use fear to propel you forward—follow your fear, don’t resist it. Learn to feel your fear and face it anyway. Push yourself so you can be proud of yourself.

Excuse #6: I’m not ready yet

If you’re waiting to be perfectly ready to pursue your dream, you’ll never go for it. We all start one (shaky) step at a time; don’t wait for perfection to move forward, just do it.

“The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.” ~ Author Unknown

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Tags: be happy change dream excuses Excuses Begone fear happiness happy let go life living love scared self sabotage

Alexis Sclamberg

Alexis Sclamberg is a self-help expert for Millennials. She’s the author of the upcoming book, Borrowed Wisdom, and contributes to publications including Forbes.com, The Huffington Post, and Cosmopolitan magazine. For more inspiration, follow her on Twitter, friend her on Facebook.

7 Comments

Tahlia Newland

at 1:31 am

Sounds terrific. Mine is just to get my odd little books to lots of people.
Kate

at 11:02 pm

Thank you for this inspiring post! True words of wisdom and they came at exactly the right time! One piece of advice I might also add is make sure that you focus on the true essence of your goal. I’ve been working through what my dreams truly are and have realized that I needed to come to a point where I pick a dream and just go for it! There were too many different dreams going in different directions and I was pulled apart trying to chase them all! I’m learning to boil it down, find out what I truly want to pursue and then just GO DO IT like you say in this article!

Your writing is inspiring! THANK YOU!
AJ

at 4:16 pm

In response to megha, take a leave of absence from your current employment, buckle down and ace your exams. If it doesn’t work out, you have the current job to fall back on (or you could also search for other employment that aids in your higher aspirations). Never give up on the dream, push the boundaries to make it happen. Good luck!
Evalina

at 1:01 pm

But how do I find my dream? There are tons of things that are appealing to me but for none I have that ‘burning desire’…
Eliot Braun

at 11:22 am

My dream is to travel Europe, live in Hostels and write romantic poetry while I reinvent performance art and Da Da – ism!
megha

at 2:45 am

Hi Alexis, thanks for such a wonderful and encouraging post. May be this is the push I have been waiting for to make my final decision. But still shaking. So I am posting my fear here. may be someone or Alexis, you yourself, can help me out.
I am currently working in a reputed organisation, but I wish to go for higher studies. My work timings are such that I am tired and unable to study for my entrance exams. Each day is going and with just 2 months left for my exam, I am feeling that I quit my job and focus on my goal. But I fear, what If I am unable to clear the exam? I’ll be on starting line again, if I didn’t get admission. It will result in waste of money.
What should I do?
Please help me.
Ron

at 8:22 pm

Great article, I loved it. I shared it with my facebook fan page. These are very important things to know.

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