7 Excuses We Use That Crush Our Dreams

The emergence of so much change has many of us scratching our heads and feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Just yesterday we were all chatting about “that” new social network called Facebook. We asked questions.

Should we leap in?

How much should you share?

Is it a waste of time?

Table of Contents

Your favourite pair of pants

Now it is like your favourite pair of pants. A little worn, looking a bit daggy but comfortable and wondering what you will find in the pockets.

Today the questions are….

Should I play PokemonGo?

What is this augmented reality social network that destroys my content after it has been viewed…..what’s that all about?

But this digital world doesn’t leave us alone. It keeps nagging and disrupting our comfort zones. And just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.

Sometimes we feel like going into a room, pulling down the blinds and crawling under the covers. Or maybe even running away with the circus.

But we know that doesn’t solve anything.

The excuses that taunt us

Among all this change we know that we should be doing something. Adapting, evolving and embracing opportunity. Disrupting ourselves. Maybe we don’t need to become a SnapChat expert but at least start to understand what you need to do to succeed in a digital world.

But the excuses to not strike out on your own, just share your creative genius or to start an entrepreneurial pursuit that could transform your life are often put off.

Because…….

The still small voice of doubt and fear persists.

So the challenges don’t go away and it has us resorting to excuses. And these are the sort of rationalizations that may have already popped into your consciousness.

I am too old
I am too busy
Why would anyone want to hear what I have to say
The technology is complicated
I am not smart enough
I don’t have enough money
I’m an introvert

They sit on our shoulder taunting us. They are the nagging doubts that mock us in the quiet hours of the night.

1. Too old

So maybe you are a trim taut millennial and part of the connected generation….. and wrinkles, multiple chins and grey hairs in all the wrong places are just a distant nightmare. Then just skip this and pop onto the next excuse.

So…..let’s dive into the ”too old” excuse.

In reality it is just a cop-out. A reason to keep wearing the slippers and sipping tea when it should be champagne and Red Bull. A justification that stops you hiking in Kathmandu or exploring the Amazon for the first time.

This one should be left on the shelf along with the memorabilia and the old habits that trap us in reminiscing of past glories and lost youth.

How do I know?

I am in my late fifties. On the cusp of another zero birthday. Its not your capability that is the problem. It’s where your head and heart is at that is the issue.

Maybe we need to be reminded that sixty is the new forty!

2. Too busy

I am too busy follows closely behind. For many family, work and life often get in the way. Nothing wrong with that but it is still not a good enough reason to put off creating and making your life something of consequence.

Maybe it’s time to commit to “that” one habit and leave a legacy. Want more on that, then check out “This One habit That Transformed My life”

3. Who cares about what “I” have to say

This excuse sits right next to the one that says “I am not smart enough”. But we all bring our own genius into the world and that is your story.

Your first steps in sharing your thoughts maybe curating and then you will find your own voice. Many great singers and bands started out singing covers.

But in the end they found a way to create their own song and share their own genius with the world.

4. I am not smart enough

The rise of the social web has made the smart, savvy and the the successful obvious and very public. We often sit on the sidelines and feel unworthy. We ask….How can I compete with them?

But…..we all have our own genius and its time to embrace that truth.

So…..step up to the plate and start making your passion, your insights and your intelligence visible. That doesn’t happen by writing business plans that are put in the bottom drawer or sit on a hard drive or USB.

That comes from creating and publishing.

5. I am not good at tech

It has been said that “The geeks will inherit the earth“. The world of digital and technology and its associated computers and software has now made the scientist sexy.

I get this. Because the geek and I are on different planets.

It was a programming class when I attempted to add some new skills to my teaching degree. It was a lesson or two on “Basic”, which was the core computer language at the time.

it was a foreign language.

Nice to listen to and observe from afar but when you start to take a closer glance it just looks like gobbledygook!

So maybe have a go, but the reality is that for most of us the solution is to just outsource a geek. You can find them on Freelancer or Upwork.

6. I don’t have enough money

Starting needs to be kept simple and often we feel the old urge the rent an expensive office and put people on the payroll.

The world of tech used to be madly expensive. But the access to global freelancers has changed that equation. Free and easy to use tools are widely available.

I started my business with a $10 domain name. It can be that simple.

7. I am too much of an introvert

This one often comes from the schoolyard and we all know about the jock and the extrovert who gets all the attention.

It’s hard to compete with that.

Susan Cain in her book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” touches on the power of the introvert to now be heard. The social web has given the introvert a voice. The writers, the quiet creatives and even the bloggers can now be discovered.

The opportunities

Pushing past the doubts and just “starting” open access to a world that has maybe only existed in your imagination.

The freedom to live a life that has meaning
To leave a legacy that transforms people’s lives
The power and flexibility to set your own working hours
Opportunities to travel to new countries
To become a recognized expert
To be seen as an industry influencer
To speak at events around the world
To create a 6-figure or even 7-figure income is now possible with this new world order.

That is just the obvious benefits. But there is something much more satisfying

The deep sense of satisfaction that comes from stepping up and starting and being noticed for being “you” is empowering. The validation from the global community that shares your content and cheers from the sidelines is to be embraced and celebrated.

Transforming your life

So if you push past those excuses that stop you from starting then life becomes a different adventure.

What would your life look like in 5 years or 10 years if you make the steps required to live a life imagined? Here are some to get you thinking, dreaming and moving.

Live in the house you want
Live in the place you love
Be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them

Its called independence. That’s true freedom.

So…what is the cost of giving in to those excuses?

Giving up on your dreams. Accepting a life that is a shadow of the real you. It is discarding the thought that life was an adventure to be seized. And……not being the master of your own universe.

Yes….embracing the pain and pushing past the discomfort means a lot of unlearning.

But the opportunities and freedom to live a life you love while earning the money you want has never been easier.

It’s time to choose your superpower and make it a reality.

About the author: Jeff Bullas

Jeff is an entrepreneur, blogger, author, marketer and speaker and works with personal brands and business to optimize online personal and company brands with emerging technologies, content, social media technologies and digital marketing. He has spent most of his career involved with information technologies, telecommunications and the web.