What’s Your Excuse For Not Making Money?

Are You Making Too Many Excuses?

There are so many things that you see others doing that you admire and even envy. You might think that you could be doing the same thing “if only” you had the same advantages they have. However, achieving success requires a better attitude than this mindset.

Always thinking that others have it better than you comes from a mindset of lack. So instead, take the time to take a closer look at the person you are envying and pose these questions:

• What’s their background?
• Where did they get the knowledge to do what brought them success?
• How long did it take them to achieve their success?

Once you discover that their achievements result from their sacrifices, you know their success isn’t due to luck. They worked long hours and made sacrifices like not spending time with their families, not enjoying outdoor activities, and not investing their money in yearly vacations.

People with an abundance mindset are risk-takers who think outside the box to find solutions to their challenges. However, we are all limited by the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. How we invest those 24 hours will ultimately determine our success.

Successful people don’t have more hours in the day than you do. However, they know they must apply themselves to reach their goals. So rather than escaping reality by watching hours of t.v., which is a common form of procrastination, they make their choice to invest their time in learning new skills, reading books, practicing their craft, and pursuing their dreams.

It’s in your own hands as to which direction you want to go in life. Do you want to live a life making excuses as to why you cannot be successful, or do you want to live a fulfilled life?

“Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable.”
~ Zig Ziglar ~

Common Excuses That People Tell Themselves

• “I’ll do it when the kids are out of the house.”
• “My spouse won’t support my vision.”
• “My friends will make fun of me.”
• “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
• “I never went to college.”
• “I’m too stupid to do this.”
• “I won’t be able to come up with the money to invest in my business.”
• Any additional excuse that begins with “I can’t do x because…”

When reading these excuses, are you noticing something? They are all negative statements that place the blame on someone or something else.

Empowering Phrases Speak Volumes

Change your mindset by speaking things into existence. Words have power. How do you feel, and how do your days develop when you speak positively to yourself? In retrospect, how do you feel when you talk negatively about yourself?

Have you ever noticed your body language change when you adopt a defeatist attitude? Instead of walking upright with a spring in your step as you strut across the room confidently, your posture reflects your mood, and you will slouch much like someone suffering from victimitis.

Think back on how you felt after you finished a project. People noticed your appearance and were drawn in by your optimism. Your self-confidence made you feel like you could conquer any challenge you encountered.

Instead of wrestling with uncertainty and indecisiveness, you followed your gut instinct and relied on your knowledge and experience to make decisions that proved to be the right ones. That can-do mindset caused a chain reaction of positive things happening to you.

To maintain that positive mindset, keep saying positive phrases to yourself. This positive self-talk will make it easier for you to create a positive thread within your game plan. In addition, how you perceive life will influence your dealing with different challenges and people.

Saying the following phrases will help you maintain your self-confidence, which in turn keeps you on track and focused on the things you need to accomplish instead of on excuses:

• “I believe that it is possible to …”
• “I have faith in the project I’m working on.”
• “Money is tight, but I’m resourceful enough to find a way to pay my bills.”
• “My schedule is tight today, but I will make the time to complete this task.”
• “I’ll complete this task before I settle down to watch a movie.”

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Internalizing the phrases allows you to take on a positive mindset and see opportunities and possibilities. Seeing the glass half-full makes this easier to implement rather than accepting excuses.

Another simple trick to making these changes is recognizing that our physiology can also change our emotional state. For example, when we slouch, frown, wrinkle our foreheads, and pout, we radiate a negative sense of being that affects our emotions and projects our feelings onto others.

When we do things with our physiology, like standing tall, smiling, holding our heads up, and walking energetically, we radiate a positive mindset and emotional state. When we are in this mode, others can see the change and perceive our positivity.

An example often performed at large events is for the audience to first think of some negative things, either situations or people and register how it makes them feel. They are then asked to stare at the edge of the room, where the ceiling and the walls meet, smile their biggest smile, and then try and think of something negative.

Almost every time, they end up laughing because it seems impossible. However, after experiencing this, they found themselves looking up and smiling more often.

By choosing to ignore all of the distractions and not allowing the advice given by your family, colleagues, and naysayers to drown out your self-belief, you create your reality by being the author of your own story. You leave your comfort zone by taking responsibility for your actions instead of justifying your inactions, mistakes, and failures. By consciously developing better habits, you transform and grow to be happier in all aspects of your life.