I created a list of quotes. I didn’t have to.
There were at least ten excuses I could have come up with. I could have chosen not to write this post and do something else.
Now, that’s a stupid example. But you’ll find that the same applies to important things as well.
When it comes to getting stuff done, you can either come up with reasons why you can’t do it, or do it.
You can either focus on problems, and make excuses, or do the thing anyway, even if it’s not perfect.
Choose to be stronger than your excuses. And life will always reward you.
Have a look at these quotes…
Be stronger than your excuses: best quotes
Don’t make excuses. Make things happen. Make changes. Then make history.
Doug Hall
Those who say life is knocking them down and giving them a tough time are usually the first to beat themselves up. Be on your own side.
Rasheed Ogunlaru
You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.
David Joseph Schwartz
Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt, or fear.
Dan Millman
Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they are yours.
Richard Bach
Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.
Bruce Barton
The ones who find happiness are the ones who don’t make excuses.
Unknown
I refuse to allow the excuses in my mind to grow into giants that keep me from living up to my full potential.
Shaun King
One of the greatest revelations of my life is: I can choose my thoughts and think things on purpose. In other words, I don’t have to just think about whatever falls into my mind.
Joyce Meyer
You can find excuses for anything, or you can find solutions and work toward them, which in the end will bring happiness.
Byron Pulsifer
Ours is the one ever-present voice in our lives. Therefore, it is crucial that our self-talk instill confidence within us and is supportive, not submerging, and that our attitudes toward ourselves help keep our spirits afloat through acceptance and trust.
Sue Thoele
Willpower is not about resisting, forcing, or controlling — it’s about choosing.
Penney Peirce
Be stronger than your excuses: short quotes
If you’re going to quit anything, quit making excuses.
Mel Robbins
The only person who is holding you back is you.
Tony Robbins
When you are good at making excuses, it’s hard to excel at anything else.
John L. Mason
Success occurs when your dreams get bigger than your excuses.
Unknown
You can have excuses, or you can have success. You can’t have both.
Jen Sincero
There is no great talent without great willpower.
Honoré de Balzac
If you really want to do it, you do it. There are no excuses.
Bruce Nauman
Be mindful of your self-talk. It’s a conversation with the universe.
David James
Excuses will always be there for you. Opportunity won’t.
Unknown
An excuse is nothing more than a self-imposed roadblock.
C. C. Chapman
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
Benjamin Franklin
We have more ability than willpower.
François de la Rochefoucauld
What you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do.
Norton Juster
I don’t fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves.
Louise Hay
Life has no limitations except the ones you make.
Les Brown
Other motivational quotes
Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Christopher Robin
You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy.
Arthur Ashe
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak.
Ralph Charell
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge
Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.
George Halas
Four tips to be stronger than your excuses
Here are my four tips to train your willpower muscles and say goodbye to your excuses.
In no particular order:
1. Ditch perfectionism
If you’d like to start exercising or go to the gym, but can only do so, say, twice a week… then do it twice a week.
If you’d like to have a side hustle but can realistically work on that, say, two hours a day… then work on it two hours a day.
Two is better than zero. One is better than zero. Anything is better than nothing.
One of the main reasons people like to make excuses is, they see things as either all or nothing.
You don’t need to hire a private chef and have the healthiest possible diet to be healthier.
You don’t need to go to the gym every single day to build a better physique. And so on. You get the point.
This is the first tip to be stronger than your excuses: stop being a perfectionist.
Action leads to results. Perfectionism leads to nothing.
Remember — anything is better than zero.
2. Focus on the end result
What you focus on grows. Choose where you focus your energy very carefully.
The second tip to be stronger than your excuses (and circumstances) is to simply shift your focus.
Assuming your current problems cannot be avoided, you can either choose to focus on the problems, or focus on your goals.
The latter is the most sensible option. The most sensible, but not the most obvious.
That’s a trap of the mind — we tend to believe that the more we dwell on an issue, the closer we’ll get to the solution or goal. Which is false 99 percent of the time.
Why? Because you give energy to whatever you focus on. Focus on what doesn’t work, what you don’t have, and you’ll make it grow.
Don’t make the mistake most people make. Focus on what you want. Focus on the end result. Ignore anything else.
3. Know it could be worse
Alright, here’s a quick reality check: I don’t know who or where you are right now, but I’m sure it could be worse.
Like, much, much worse. A million times worse. Stop for a second and think.
The reason this is so powerful is, it gives you perspective. Then your current problems or obstacles no longer seem insurmountable.
We’ve all heard of stories of people who had literally nothing then reached success (financially or in any other area of their life).
I know — some of these stories are exaggerated, or even completely made up. But some are true.
So you want to ask: how many problems did these people have to face?
Their potential list of excuses could have been endless, but they chose to be stronger. They focused on what they wanted… and eventually got it.
4. Prioritize like a pro
Lastly, you want to be aware that your resources are very limited. Your time, your energy, your willpower — these things are finite.
So learn to prioritize.
Prioritize your time and don’t fill your whole day with tasks that aren’t that important.
Prioritize your energy and do whatever needs to be done when your energy levels are higher (e.g. in the morning).
Prioritize your attention and eliminate stupid distractions (e.g. try a TV or social media detox).
The idea is to make it easy for yourself. When you no longer multitask, when you have more resources available, then it’s easier to be stronger than your excuses.
Say no to anything that is not worth it. Say yes to what is.
