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There�s one word kicks this excuse right in the teeth. �Google". If you can�t find
a ton of free information on Google, find a book on Amazon. If Amazon doesn�t work,
hire a coach. Information is more accessible now than any other point in history,
and most of it is free. Spend time to find it. Commit to learning it. Be equipped
to tackle your challenge.
Maybe you don�t have internet, not everyone does (how are you reading this?). In
any case, there are these buildings with a number of books on a variety of subjects
called libraries. They�ll be thrilled to see you, and eager to help. If you invest
the time, a near college level education awaits you. No it�s not as convenient as
the internet, but learning anything worthwhile is seldom easy. Also reading books
will help to fortify your attention span, which is vital to your success.
Like education, people are more accessible than ever before. Nearly anyone you need
to know can be found on Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin. Be on a mission they can�t
resist being a part of, and you�re half way there. With a little patience, and an
awesome personality, you can connect with the right people. It won�t happen
overnight, but it certainly will happen if you want it bad enough.
Finances are a sensitive issue. You might not have the money right now, but there
are plenty of ways to increase your income. If you have to scour freelancer sites
to aquire a hundred dollars here and there, do it. Any money you make freelancing,
save it to put towards your dream project. Can�t afford to do that? Create a
strict budget, and set aside a portion of your income. Don�t believe what the news
tells you, money is everywhere, and people spend it every day. Right now, someone
is hiring someone just like you.
If not now, then when? This excuse is fear of the unknown. The reality is, you
can�t afford not to take a risk right now. If an idea really benefits people,
pulling on the reigns doesn�t just inhibit your progress�it prevents people from
improving their lives.
Anything worth doing is hard. When was the last time �easy� had a huge payoff for
you?
7. You don�t learn that way.
Babies all learn the same way, trial and error. They try, fail, and try again until
it becomes second nature. Anyone with an infant learning to stand, walk, or crawl
right now will tell you their kid won�t stop, regardless of the number of times
they fall on their face. Babies don�t get the luxury of learning via webinar,
audio, or having the process of written out. They see others do it, and try it
themselves. As a former baby, I can say being receptive to any and all learning
will greatly improve your ability to do anything you want.
The human brain isn�t designed to process information in a linear fashion. This is
why when you dream, it doesn�t start �at the beginning� and you only remember how
the dream ended, but never how it began. If you�re looking to pick up a new skill,
usually �the beginning� will make itself apparent, regardless of where you start.
Even better, because the way you process information is unique to you, your
�starting point� could help you form a very unique perspective that people love.
Also consider the other people who �don�t know where to begin". By simply picking a
place and chronicling your journey, you can inspire others to learn with you.
It�s true, some changes should be gradual. But if you a drastic change is what you
need, your customers are probably already bored and looking for alternatives. Do
you think Apple feared their customer�s opinions before entering the Mp3 player
market? Didn�t think so.
Peer validation is rarely the deciding factor in any entrepreneurial story worth
hearing. If you�re concerned with what your industry peers will think, don�t worry
about it. Sometimes disruption is exactly what your peers need.
If people will buy the �Pet Rock� people will buy what you�re selling. You just
have to figure out how to position yourself, and why they need you.
You�re right, nobody will care, IF you�re doing something for the wrong reasons.
Are you creating a product because you need the cash? Nobody will care. Are you
promoting others simply to make yourself look good. Nobody will care. Are you
sucking up to big names so they will promote your stuff? Nobody will care.
Authenticity can�t be faked, and selfish motivations can be sniffed out from a mile
away. Be on a mission to make an impact. Somebody will care, because they share
your mission. Now it�s up to you to find them.
Imagine waking up tomorrow on the verge of death. All your life you played it safe.
You stayed at your job, and did what you were told. Sure you got promotions, but at
your peak you still only made $60,000. You had ideas, and watched them came to
fruition� at the hands of someone else. They created memorable products; you�re on
your deathbed with nothing to show. You�re unsure how you�ll pay for your funeral.
You�re leaving behind a mound of debt, and you never figured out how to just get
ahead.Feel sorry yet?
Realistically, that�s ok. If people like Naomi Dunford and Johnny Truant are
allowed to play, so can you. Politically correctness isn�t always the most
effective form of communication. Sometimes the non PC person is exactly the breath
of fresh air the world needs.
It�s true, not everyone is ready to hear everything. But if you�ve thought it,
chances are you are not alone. If you believe in it enough, one person at a time,
you can build a following. Truthfully, it�s usually the things people aren�t ready
for that make the biggest impact on the world.
This is my favorite excuse, because it�s such a cop out. Let�s look at some of the
common milestones in your life that you got through just fine.
You went to school (hadn�t done that before)
Had your first kiss (hadn�t done that before)
Learned to drive a car
Took up a new hobby
Learned to read
Or really anything beyond lying on your back and flailing your limbs
uncontrollably.
You hadn�t done anything before you did it. It�s simple, but it�s true. This excuse
is rooted in fear of the unknown. Now it�s perfectly fine to be afraid, but
�inexperience� is by far one of the worst excuses. Life is built on a series of
�firsts� and making the choice to limit your experiences only leads to
dissatisfaction.
Just like challenging the authority, being brash is sometimes exactly what people
need.Too many people try to �do it right�, so do it wrong just to stand out. There
are plenty of people who make a career out of saying the wrong thing. Just make
sure there�s substance behind your message.
Pure �luck� is a myth. If someone is �lucky� they are doing stuff behind the scenes
you�re not seeing. Taking action and simply doing something instead of making
excuses will do wonders for your �luck�. Besides, other�s luck doesn�t directly
impact you.
Obviously, follow your moral compass. Going against that isn�t what I�m suggesting.
What I will suggest is to seek alternatives that don�t oppose your belief systems.
If a company like Hebrew National can make kosher hotdogs, you can find a way to do
what�s holding you back. But if you�re using this excuse to stay in your comfort
zone, I need to ask, �How much are you holding yourself back in the name of
something else?�
Gender roles are increasingly less relevant. There have been women CEOs and male
nurses for years. Men can start a daycare and women can start a design firm.
Blaming your gender simultaneously speaks poorly for your gender, and empowers
those who refuse to fit a mold.
No doubt, balancing kids with business is tough. At the time of this writing, I�m a
newlywed with an 11 month old son, my own business, and a new house. It�s a
balancing act, but it�s doable. It requires discipline and maximum use of
�productive time�. At the end of the day you may feel shattered. Keep it up, you�ll
build endurance. It doesn�t just make you a better business person; it allows you
to enjoy family time that much more.
Now I�m not one to give marital advice, and you have to respect your spouse, but
open communication can go a long way. It�s important to communicate your passion.
Get to the core of why it�s important to you and really open up. Be willing to have
multiple conversations about it, and really hear their reservations. Come up plan
for�worst possible scenario� together and keep your spouse informed on your
progress. Be prepared to let go of some ideas. But dig deep into the important
ideas, it�s a lot better than �Honey, can we do this�?�
�really? How old are you? Ok, regardless of age, people have complicated families,
I get it. Sometimes parents aren�t as rational, or supportive, or open to new ideas
as we�d like them to be. This is no reason to sacrifice your success and happiness.
If your parents require you to show your respect by giving up on your dreams, then
maybe you need to weigh the consequences of giving up versus going your own way.
(Hint: we each only get one life, and this one is yours.)
Josh Blue is a hilarious stand up comic with cerebral palsy, which most noticeably
affects his right arm. Nick Vujicic is a world-renowned preacher and motivational
speaker who doesn�t have any arms or legs. Kyle Maynard doesn�t have arms or legs
either, and is a wrestler, MMA fighter, owner of a gym, a student, and a
motivational speaker. Oh, and he�s 25 years old. I�m 25 and have a rare brain
condition, and I�m supporting my family and growing my business. There are artists
who create with their mouths, runners who win races on artificial legs, brilliant
writers who�s fingers never touch the keyboard and a host of successful individuals
with learning, cognitive, and emotional disabilities who refuse to let their
situation hold them back. Need inspiration? Check out The Badass Project at the
website and on Facebook to learn about individuals who refuse to let their
�disability� hold them back.
�because they haven�t found a way to make it work yet. Honestly. Google was a
search engine with a silly name back when we were using Lycos or Ask.com. But they
learned, grew, and evolved into something that has completely astounded us. It�s
weird to think that at one point industry leaders said Google wouldn�t work, isn�t
it? It�s not financially sound. I would never encourage you to gamble, but it�s
rarely financially sound to strike out on your own. Maybe you�re afraid that once
you�re a Big Name and the money is rolling in, that you will get a few good years
out of it before eventually fizzling out.
Do you realize that�s a possibility regardless?
R.O.I is one of those funny acronyms people throw around without fully
understanding it�s meaning. To fully measure your R.O.I you need more funny
acronyms called K.P.I�s (Key Performance Indicators). These metrics help you gauge
whether whatever you�re doing is working or not. Common K.P.I�s are more comments,
more sales, increased traffic, and higher conversions. Each K.P.I is measured
individually, and the number of factors that influence a Key Performance Indicator
should be controlled to make testing easier. Not having a Return On Investment is a
perfectly sound reason not to do something. Just make sure you are using the term
properly, and really looking at the whole picture before you pull that card.
Teenage pop stars are breaking into the cutthroat entertainment business via
MySpace and YouTube. If your exposure isn�t handed to you by the merit of your
work, create your own opportunities using the tools available to you.
Not with that attitude, there isn�t. The point is that you�re helping people. The
point is that you�re doing something. The point is you�re being productive and
taking action. The point is you�re not living in premature self defeat. You are
taking an idea from concept to actualization. You�re bringing your ideas to the
world. Even if no one sees it, you can have the satisfaction of knowing you did
something you believed in.
33. It�s not important enough.
If it at some point you believed there was a need, there probably is. Does it take
too much to do it? Is it not convenient? Is it important enough to let it keep
creeping up and nagging at you? Just do it already.
No you won�t. You never do. Get to it now, or at least schedule it to get done.
Then do it. You�ll be a lot more satisfied when you�re finished.
Nobody actually �does it right�. That�s why there are so many grocery stores, soda
brands, religions, and blogs. It�s not about �doing it right� so much as it is
doing it to the best of your ability. Giving it everything you�ve got, regardless
of the outcome, that�s the only way to do it right.
This is my personal favorite, and one I�ve used on multiple occasions. If you say
it, it�s true, you�re not ready for that level of success� right now. Success is an
iterative process, every step leads to the next step. Every �Overnight success�
will tell you the path to success was long, winding, and full of obstacles. By the
time you�re an �Overnight success�, you will have endured so much, overcoming
challenges will be second nature. Only one thing is guaranteed, it doesn�t actually
happen overnight. If you succeed, people�s expectations will change. They
absolutely will, and they should. If you�re positioning yourself as someone who
changes lives, expect to play recurring role in the lives you�ve changed. When you
rise up to meet great expectations, you become great. Of course, you have to manage
expectations too. You can�t do everything all the time. Push yourself to be more
but never at the expense of what is most important to you. If you succeed, my
responsibilities will change. Not only to your customers, but to your personal life
as well. This isn�t a bad thing. New responsibilities that improve people�s lives
is a good thing. Remember, it comes incrementally. It�s up to decide when to say
yes and when to say no. But don�t not do something because you don�t think you can
handle the responsibility. Give it a shot. If it doesn�t work, be responsible to
enough to find a suitable replacement.
You�re not them. View their story as a cautionary tale. If you see where they went
wrong, you can do it differently. There are learning experiences everywhere, and
seeing someone lose their way can be one of the best.
This excuse is a little deeper. For some, success can unleash some pretty nasty
inner demons. Proceed carefully. Watch for the signs, and ask loved ones to keep
you grounded. For some, myself included, success can go the your head real quick.
Being reminded to do the dishes, taking out the trash, or cook dinner go a long way
for me. Remembering success in business doesn�t mean I�m above menial chores keeps
me grounded. Take it a step further and volunteer for a soup kitchen, or an animal
shelter to disconnect from any superiority complex you might develop. Help people
without judgement and watch as they enjoy the person you become.
Anyone who�s ever �made it� will tell you they�ve failed more times than they�ve
succeeded. Being destroyed by failure is a choice; the choice is to quit. If you
fail, fail. Give it everything you�ve got, and let it become a disaster. Watch it
burn. Let it destroy you. Then recoup, learn from your mistakes, and rise from the
ashes. Failure never completely destroys you, only the parts that weren�t doing you
any good. With every catastrophic failure, hindsight allows you to see where you
went wrong. When you rebuild, you�re that much closer to perfecting the system.
This is one I�ve used many times. It is possible to be a 1 trick pony, if you don�t
strive to dig deeper. Your messaging has more substance than it�s surface meaning.
Draw inspiration from yourself. Read old blog posts, listen to old interviews, dig
for deeper meaning. Don�t just look for what works, explore why it works, and
contemplate the reasons why. Soon you�ll be digging into the psychology of your
customers, and creating content that resonates on levels you could have never
imagined.
Fair enough, you have a lot on your plate. But when can you commit? Don�t use this
excuse to push something aside, if you don�t want to invest the time. If it�s
genuinely interesting, look at your calender and ask �when can I commit?� and put
yourself on a productive path. And if you don�t want to do it, be honest and admit
you�re not interested. People will always respect honesty over being strung along.
See above.
44. You can�t commit until you�ve seen all the steps.
The road map to successful outcomes isn�t always available. Granted, sometimes all
of the steps are necessary. More often than not, this excuse is to avoid risk. If
you�re presented with a coherent process that makes sense to you, and you still say
no�then what? Do you really need a formal business plan? Not always. Some of the
greatest products started as ideas that just evolved over time.
Neither am I. So look at the big picture, and find a �details� person. Between the
two of you, you�ll see the overall journey, and the little steps to take to get
there.
Notebooks, smart phones, voice recorders, and napkins are wonderful tools for idea
trapping.
You will train yourself to better distinguish the good ideas from the bad, and your
ideas will improve over time.
It�s amazing how much stuff you retain once you take the simple step of writing it
all down.
Second, when you�re successful, people want a piece of your time, all the time.
Your �schedule� doesn�t have to be super segmented. Just plan for some �production
only� time, if you want to get anything done.
Without a schedule, you�ll find you�re often double booked, which makes you look
terribly silly and unprofessional.
Do something, anything.
So do it.
There are too many great ideas, and not enough people to execute.
While you�re at it, motivate the �thinker� to start doing stuff too.
If you lack proper certification, but know you�re the most qualified, stop at
nothing to get yourself in the door.
Go to the institution you need, ask about the prerequisite programs for
certification.
Sometimes there�s so much creative crap, all the world needs is cut and dry
information.
Not everyone responds to creative and there�s always a need for black and white
information.
If you need creativity, find an �ideas� person. They�ll know a creative person.
Tell me one epic story in which the protagonist doesn�t overcome too many
obstacles.
To save the princess, you must travel the land, sail the ocean, answer the riddles
of the old man at the bridge, and bring an offering to the king.
It�s going to be difficult, but trust me, the princess (your freedom) is worth it.
Obviously you can�t go about it the same way, so find a new angle.
With every loss, you gain the experience you need to win.
If the technology doesn�t exist, and you�ve done the research to verify that,
chances are, you�re lying.
Timing is important of course. If your idea really is �too far ahead of it�s time,�
prepare the market, and be ready to launch at the right time.
When people can�t understands you, you�re either a bad communicator or talking to
the wrong people, or both.
There are more unmotivated creatives than the world knows what to do with.
Creative and driven on the other hand� now that�s a rare combination.
No matter the industry (including online marketing) websites are only tools , not
the business itself.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of businesses who are still profitable with
terrible websites.
If it doesn�t really require a redesign, stop making excuses and start moving
forward.
You don�t want to spend too much time away from the family.
Obviously (hopefully) if you have a family, you don�t want to leave them for long
periods of time.
If you can, make arrangements for them to come with you, or find ways to attend
long distance events virtually.
If virtual isn�t an option, be sure to keep an open line of communication, and make
every effort to stay connected.
Explore all of your options, and don�t hide behind your family as an excuse to get
out of something you don�t want to do.
Find it.
Go for walk. Listen to music. Go outside. Go inside. Hide in the shower. Hang out
under your bed.
If you really need the perfect thinking space, learn how to meditate.
Then no matter where you are, you�re always in the right place.
If you want to be more productive, listen to any number of the webinar replays
collecting dust in your inbox, or re-listen to paid training you�ve taken in the
past.
There�s no such thing as �the right words,� only the wrong people.
If you didn�t have �the right words� the people closest to you wouldn�t be able
stand you for more than 5 minutes at a time.
Maybe you are an unfortunate soul that nobody can stand talking to, but it�s
unlikely.
Stop searching for �the right words�, be exactly who you are.
Of course, learning how to structure headlines, format posts, and write killer
closings doesn�t ever hurt though.
Put yourself on a schedule, structure your day, and get more rest.
If necessary (and possible) take naps when you can, and remain productive.
Whatever comes next, but you�ll never know until you start making progress.
But you choose to smoke, you choose to eat unhealthy foods, you choose spend 10
hours a week on Youtube, and $1 a day on lottery tickets.
Breaking habits isn�t easy, but it is doable, especially when you start looking at
everything as a choice.
Last year I quit smoking and now I�m cutting back on caffeine. I choose to drink
water over Coca Cola.
Granted cutting back on bad habits don�t appear to make a huge difference at first.
But saving $7 a day on cigarettes, and $1.69 on soda, and using that $60.83 a week
for paid ads has been a more positive use of the same money.
Instinct or excuse?
Does it not �feel� right because it really isn�t right for you, or is it simply not
convenient?
Don�t blame your instinct. Eventually your instinct will go cold, and your gauge
for �good� and �bad� will disappear.
Try again.
Furthermore, are they watching you? Are you doing anything worth watching?
These names only have weight because they hustled to make sure you remembered them.
No you�re not Chris Brogan, but that doesn�t mean you can�t be influential.
In fact, Chris and Brian and Sonia and Jon all give advice that will help you do
just that.
Start taking action on the stuff they�re talking about and pay attention to their
business models, then adapt it to yourself.
A long time ago someone told me to repeat to myself �I am the Sh*t� 100 times a
day.
You might also take comfort in knowing that 99% of online persona�s are text and
images. If you need to create a character to be more comfortable, be who you want,
(just be careful not to lie to yourself)
Every leader needs a B-team, so even if you�re not the face at the front, you can
still lead the people behind them.
A president doesn�t become president all on their own, there are always people
leading the charge that get them to office.
So you don�t work well under someone else? Me either. In fact, I am terrible at it.
Someone with more experience can show you the way. Don�t you think it�s worth
telling your inner rebel take a back seat?
You quit once already, you couldn�t possibly try the same thing again.
If you really believe, who are you to let your past failures dictate your future
victories?
Yes, you quit before, you didn�t have the knowledge or experience you do now.
This time will be different, but don�t you dare give up.
The reality is, if you�re perusing something you truly believe in, give it
everything you�ve got.
Fight with every ounce of your being and every fiber in your body.
Others rally for ideas they believe in, and the people who champion them.
Show the world you refuse to accept defeat, and the world will give you the support
you need to continue.
Truth is, �Plan B� is usually better mapped out than �Plan A�.
If you can�t collaborate, discover what their customers hate, then do that better.
You might not go toe to to, but you can do small portions of their business better.
Say no, or schedule it for when you can see it through from start to finish.
Commit.
If your friends/family think you are crazy, you�re likely to have a good idea on
your hands.
The world was made on experimentation. If everyone�s loved ones understood all the
insane ideas people come up with, we�d never have innovation.
What�s more selfish; not helping people with a problem because you think it�s too
selfish, or making money for solving a problem?
Rewards that come from hard and smart work you absolutely earned though.
However if you want to do something, you just can�t figure out what, go to the
bookstore and see what section you gravitate towards.
Next time you�re at the bookstore, spend some time flipping through the magazine
rack. You�ll find all sorts of niches that are ripe with readers.
If you want to say �BUT I�m tired�!� see I�m tired further up on this page.
You do enough.
See above.
If the timing doesn�t coordinate with your personal life, find time in your
schedule when it is.
If the timing isn�t right for the marketplace, help push the market forward towards
the �right time�.
Obviously you don�t want to scare people, so getting them gradually prepared can
make them more receptive and likely to buy.
At some point if you want to �level up� you�ll have to work on a team.
Online entrepreneurs are especially guilty of having the �I have to run the show�
complex.
You�ll have to learn when to compromise, and allows others to show their strengths.
But once you�ve mastered the group dynamic, you�ll wonder how you ever did anything
without your team.
If people still have moths coming out their ears when you talk, record yourself
speaking, and play it back.
What we say makes often makes total sense, until we hear it from someone else�s
perspective.
Even when you�re covering the same thing as 5,000 others, your perspective makes
you valuable.
Learn as much as you can, then share what you�ve learned, in your words.
These two things are incredibly unique, and if that�s all you can contribute, it�s
a much better than doing nothing.
How many people do you think are teaching persuasive writing, or headline
techniques, or conversion tactics?
Yet Copyblogger media is a 5 million a year company, teaching principals that have
been taught since the 1920's.How is that?
Even if you�re not saying anything new, your experience, your perspective, and most
important, your personality come together to develop something worth watching.
If you�re showing up in the searches for what they�re looking for, you might be the
one to change their life.
No you can�t teach common sense, but you can teach what you know.
Be patient with your customers. If they don�t �get it� open the dialog and really
listen to them one on one.
Cop out.
Pick it up and learn it. If it�s counter to what you learned before, see if you can
integrate approaches.
You can learn anything at any time, regardless to what you�ve learned before.
No you�re not.
Age and willingness to learn only go hand in hand if you let them.
Your life experience gives you a valuable perspective that many others might not
bring to the table.
No you�re not.
Age and willingness to learn only go hand in hand if you let them.
Your youth allows you to see things from a fresh perspective that the older
generation may have missed.
Let your youth be more most valuable weapon, not something that holds you back.
Google.com will do wonders for finding resources to help you with that.
See above.
Keep up with the current industry while learning the founding principals.
This is almost always the best way to break in. When so many people are focused on
doing advanced strategies, that they forget the basic principals (which often times
work the best).
Document your journey from the starting point and share what you�re learning.
Whether you realize it or not, you just might be helping the industry shift by
doing these few simple things.
�You are in the middle of your day today, and youíre caught up in the sandstorm of
thoughts, feelings, to-dos, meetings, readings, and communications of this day.
Seriously? You just read (or at least scrolled through) 106 excuses, 106 debunks
and nearly 7,000 words. You have time.
In fact, you have all the time, resources, and knowledge required to be great.
It�s a choice to never stop. It�s a choice to view yourself as limitless. It�s a
choice to stop at nothing until everyone knows your name.
Without a doubt, you�ll encounter many obstacles on your journey. That�s a given.
Go.
Be great.