We all make excuses. Sometimes they feel justified, like legitimate reasons why we can’t take action. But when these excuses become a pattern, they keep us stuck in the same frustrating cycles. If you want to break free from a life that feels stagnant or unfulfilling, it starts with recognizing the self-imposed limitations holding you back. Here are the biggest excuses you need to stop making if you truly want to change.
1. Stop Telling Yourself It’s Not The Right Time To Pursue Your Ambitions
Waiting for the “right” time is one of the biggest traps you can fall into. There will never be a moment when everything aligns perfectly—when you have unlimited energy, no stress, and all the resources you need. Life is messy, unpredictable, and full of challenges, but the people who succeed are the ones who start despite the chaos. According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, “people often wait for the ‘right time’ to start working towards their goals, but this can lead to procrastination and missed opportunities.
If you keep telling yourself you’ll take action when things calm down, you’ll be waiting forever. The truth is, the right time is whenever you decide to begin. Start with what you have, where you are. Even small progress is better than staying in place. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to start. Don’t let the illusion of perfect timing rob you of your future.
2. Stop Saying You Don’t Have The Energy To Make Changes
Let’s be honest—if energy was a requirement for success, nothing would ever get done. We live in a world that constantly drains us, whether it’s work, stress, or responsibilities. If you’re waiting to “feel ready” before you take action, you’re handing control of your life over to your fluctuating mood and energy levels. Motivation isn’t something that magically appears—it’s something you create by taking the first step. James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” points out that motivation typically follows action, not vice versa. He explains that starting a task, regardless of initial energy levels, is what creates motivation.
Instead of waiting for a burst of energy, commit to action regardless of how you feel. Start small, even if it’s just five minutes a day. Momentum builds when you push through those sluggish moments, and before you know it, taking action becomes a habit rather than something you need to psych yourself up for.
3. Stop Telling Yourself You’re Too Old To Try Something New
Age is not a reason to stop chasing growth, learning, or change. Some of the most successful people in history didn’t hit their stride until later in life. Colonel Sanders started KFC in his 60s. Vera Wang didn’t design her first wedding dress until she was 40. If they had let their age define their possibilities, the world would have never seen their impact. According to a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, “the average age of successful startup founders is 45, challenging the notion that entrepreneurship is a young person’s game”.
It’s never too late to reinvent yourself, pursue a passion, or take a new direction in life. The only thing stopping you is the belief that you’re “too old.” The truth is, every day you spend making this excuse is another day you could have spent improving, growing, and proving yourself wrong.
4. Stop Saying, “That’s Just How I Am, ” To Excuse Laziness
Saying “that’s just how I am” is a lazy way of avoiding growth. It’s easier to believe your flaws are permanent than to admit that you have the power to change. But the reality is, no one is born stuck in their habits, fears, or weaknesses. The difference between people who evolve and people who stay the same is the willingness to challenge their own limitations. According to Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist and author of “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” “adopting a growth mindset, where you believe your abilities can be developed, leads to greater achievement than a fixed mindset that assumes traits are static”.
Change is uncomfortable, but it’s also necessary if you want to improve your life. Instead of accepting limitations as personality traits, ask yourself: “What would happen if I worked on this instead of just accepting it?” You might be surprised at how much you’re capable of when you stop defining yourself by your past.
5. Stop Telling Yourself You Don’t Have The Money
Money can be a real obstacle, but it’s also a convenient excuse. If you don’t have funds for something, what are you doing to change that? There are countless free resources, low-cost alternatives, and creative ways to work around financial barriers. People who truly want something find a way—whether it’s saving, learning new skills, or starting with what they have.
Instead of saying, “I can’t afford it,” start asking, “How can I make this possible?” Many successful people started broke, but they didn’t let that stop them. They found a way to take small steps forward, and you can too.
6. Stop Thinking You Need To Get Everything In Order First
It’s tempting to believe that once everything in your life is neatly organized, then you’ll finally be ready to take action. But that’s just a stalling tactic disguised as productivity. Life is always going to be messy—waiting until things feel “in order” is just another way to delay the discomfort of starting.
Real progress happens in the middle of the chaos. You don’t need perfect conditions to begin; you just need to take a step forward. Prioritize action over preparation, and you’ll figure out the rest along the way.
7. Stop Telling Yourself You Don’t Have The Time
Time isn’t the issue—priorities are. Everyone gets the same 24 hours, yet some people manage to build careers, pursue passions, and stay healthy while others feel stuck in the same cycle. If you’re constantly saying you don’t have time, the truth is that you’re not making time for the things that matter. Look at your daily habits. How much time do you spend scrolling through social media, rewatching shows, or doing things out of obligation instead of intention? The hours are there—you just have to reclaim them.
Instead of saying, “I don’t have time,” start saying, “It’s not a priority right now.” If that statement makes you uncomfortable, that’s your answer. Prioritize the things that push you forward, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. Block time in your calendar for your goals like you would for a work meeting. Cut distractions, delegate what you can, and set boundaries where needed. Time is always there, but you have to take control of how you spend it. The more intentional you are, the more progress you’ll see.
8. Stop Saying “I Don’t Know Where To Start.”
Feeling overwhelmed at the beginning of something new is completely normal, but it’s not a reason to stay stuck. No one starts as an expert—every single successful person you admire was once in your shoes, unsure of their first step. The key isn’t having the perfect plan; it’s just starting somewhere. The longer you wait to feel “ready,” the longer you delay your own growth. The truth is, clarity comes through action, not sitting around thinking about it.
Instead of letting the big picture paralyze you, break your goal into tiny, manageable steps. Want to start a business? Research the industry. Want to get healthier? Take a 10-minute walk today. Want to learn a new skill? Watch a free tutorial. You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight—you just need to take the first imperfect step. Once you do, the next one will become clearer. Progress isn’t about knowing everything upfront; it’s about committing to figuring things out along the way.
9. Stop Waiting For A Magical Sign
Waiting for a sign is just another way of procrastinating. If you keep looking for the perfect moment, the right alignment of circumstances, or some external validation to tell you it’s time, you’ll be waiting forever. Life doesn’t give you a flashing neon sign that says, “Start now.” The only sign you need is the realization that you’re wasting valuable time waiting instead of acting. If you’re looking for permission, here it is—go.
The truth is, the people who succeed aren’t the ones who wait for certainty; they’re the ones who take a leap, even when they’re scared. You don’t need a divine revelation, a lucky break, or someone else’s approval. The only thing standing between you and progress is your willingness to begin. Trust yourself enough to take that first step. Momentum comes from movement, not waiting. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll get where you want to be.
10. Stop Being Obsessed With Failure
The fear of failure keeps more people stuck than almost anything else. But here’s the truth: failure isn’t what holds you back—your avoidance of it does. Every successful person you admire has failed, sometimes spectacularly. The difference is they didn’t let it stop them. They learned, adjusted, and tried again. If you avoid failure, you avoid growth. And if you never try, you guarantee your own failure by default.
The only way to truly fail is to quit before you even begin. Instead of seeing failure as an ending, start seeing it as feedback. What didn’t work? What can you change? What did you learn? The sooner you get comfortable with mistakes, the faster you’ll improve. No one who is great at anything started that way. Growth requires risks, and risks sometimes mean falling flat. But that’s how progress happens.
11. Stop Telling Yourself You Can’t Do It Alone
Feeling like you need support is natural, but waiting for someone else to push you forward will keep you stuck forever. Yes, having a mentor, friend, or community helps—but relying on external validation before taking action will only slow you down. Plenty of people have started from scratch, alone, and figured it out as they went. You don’t need a team to take the first step.
Start where you are, with what you have. Seek guidance, but don’t make lack of support an excuse. The truth is, as you move forward, you’ll attract the right people along the way. Independence doesn’t mean you’ll always be alone—it just means you’re strong enough to take the first step without waiting for permission.
12. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
Comparison is a confidence killer. When you measure yourself against someone further along in their journey, you set yourself up for discouragement. The reality? Everyone starts somewhere. The people you admire were once beginners, full of doubt, just like you. The only difference between them and you is that they kept going.
Instead of focusing on who’s ahead, focus on your own growth. Are you better than you were yesterday? Are you learning, improving, and taking steps forward? That’s all that matters. Your path is yours alone, and the only person you need to outdo is your past self.
13. Stop Thinking Back To Past Failures, Focus On The Present
So what? Trying once and failing doesn’t mean you should give up forever. Many of the most successful people in history failed multiple times before they got it right. If you let one (or even ten) failed attempts define you, you’re giving up before the real progress can even begin.
Look at what went wrong last time. Was it the approach? The timing? Your mindset? There’s always something to adjust. Just because one attempt didn’t work doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Growth is a process, and sometimes failure is just part of figuring out the right way forward. The only real failure is quitting.
14. Stop Telling Yourself You Don’t Deserve Happiness
This excuse isn’t just holding you back—it’s harming you. Somewhere along the way, you convinced yourself that happiness, success, and love are for “other people,” not you. Maybe it was a rough childhood, toxic relationships, or years of feeling unseen. But believing you don’t deserve good things only keeps you stuck in situations that reinforce that lie.
The truth? You deserve joy, success, and fulfillment just as much as anyone else. The first step is recognizing that self-worth isn’t something you earn—it’s something you choose. Start making choices that reflect the life you want, not the one you think you deserve. You’re worthy of good things.
