Once you recognize your excuses for what they are, you can begin using them to your advantage. Consider your excuses a signal to a deeper underlying problem. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with what makes you tick. Each time you find yourself making an excuse, look into it further, find the true cause and work toward moving past it. The more you practice this, the less you’ll hold yourself back from your full potential.

6. Use Your Excuses As Signals

Depending on your goals, sometimes just thinking about them is overwhelming. This is especially the case with goals, such as building a business from scratch. It’s too easy to become so overwhelmed you don’t get started at all.Eliminate your excuses by creating the mother of all to-do lists as it relates to that specific goal. Break it down into baby steps. Only work on one tiny step at a time, and hide the rest. When you’re done the step, it doesn’t feel like it was such a big deal. Then move onto the next.Soon, you’ll look back on all of your tiny steps and will be amazed at your progress!

4. Trick Yourself

When I step out of my comfort zone the number of people in my life who were also making excuses. So many excuses, in fact, that looking back on our conversations together, we were always complaining and excusing! Like you, those you spend time with might not realize they’re making excuses, and trust me you can point it out all you want – it’s a realization everyone has to come to on their own before they can change. Jump start a new conversation; be the one who changes the tune. If you eliminate your excuses, you’ll likely encourage those you care about to do the same.

3. Avoid Other “Excusers”

As they say, “Feel the fear, but do it anyway.” Recognize the excuses you’re making and do what you want to do regardless of what you think is holding you back. Yes, it’s a lot easier said than done, but it’s one thing to say you have control of your life and another to take control.Building these habits is difficult, and sometimes painful in the moment, but afterward you feel refreshed and indescribably proud of yourself. So much so, you’ll want to set your next challenge right away. Make testing your limits fun and enjoy the process on your own terms.

5. Build Excuse-Free Habits

There are times when you sincerely want to do something, but there are aspects of your lifestyle that hugely conflict with that. In these instances, you’re not in denial or making excuses, you’re simply examining roadblocks that are in your way. It’s when you allow these roadblocks to stay in place that they become excuses.It’s when something’s really important to us that we start layering on the excuses. If you turn to a proactive attitude when these situations arise, and trust yourself to think of a solution, you won’t have to eliminate your excuses – you won’t be able to find one.

7. Trust the Process

Usually, the excuse you’re using is masking the real reason why you “can’t” accomplish something. For some, it’s a fear of failure. For others, it’s a self-esteem issue. For others still, it’s a fear of success or having something to lose. If you’re unsure of where the excuses are coming from, simply ask yourself: if you were to succeed and accomplish what you want, what’s the worst thing that could happen? List off every worst case scenario, and you’ll likely recognize a theme. This is the issue to tackle.

1. Read Between the Lines

This is a little trick I use that works every time: instead of saying “I’d really like to, but…”, cut yourself off and say “I’d really like to.” This triggers your mind to focus on the plans you need to make to reach your goals, instead of the roadblocks currently in your way. Instant motivation!

2. Stop Ending Your Statements with a “But…”

Are excuses holding you back from... well, everything? Here are 7 ways to eliminate your excuses and accomplish everything you want to.

1. Read Between the Lines

Similar ideas to 1. Read Between the Lines

Point out the good

Don’t focus on the negatives

The Difference Between Reading for Understanding and Reading for Information.