Struggling to Achieve Your Goals? Here's How to Overcome Common Excuses

You know that part in romcoms when the protagonist explains their feelings to a friend and lists all the reasons why they can't be with the potential love interest? Then the friend looks at them pointedly and says, "Excuses are like butts–everyone's got one, and they all stink."

Maybe I just made that up... But the idea is the same,  and it applies to goal-setting and achieving your dreams too.

We all make up excuses, and they're usually pretty stinkin' bad. 

While some of those reasons might be valid, more often than not, they're just a way to talk ourselves out of doing something that we're afraid of or uncertain about.

But the good news is that once you recognize your excuses for what they are, you can start to overcome them by figuring out how your current habits are slowing you down, so you can change them and start making progress toward your goals.

What’s stopping you from hitting your goals?

Do you ever ask yourself this question? I often tell myself that I can't get up from my desk because I have to focus on my projects, and I simply DON’T have the time to waste…because I already wasted too much by going down a rabbit hole on TikTok. Oops… 

If you're anything like me, you've probably set many goals in your life. (I have even taken a vacation with my husband to plan out my yearly goals). You may have a long list for this year or even just for today. Awesome—you are on the right track! Whoo-hoo!

But how often do you actually hit them?

It's important to remember that many things can stop us from hitting our goals, even if we really WANT to achieve them. These obstacles might be internal or external excuses we tell ourselves, and they might be conscious or subconscious, but they definitely exist.

Knowing Your “Why” Behind Your Goals

While it's important to have clearly defined goals, it's just as important (if not more so) to know your WHY behind those goals. 

Why do you want to achieve that specific goal? What will accomplishing it mean for you and your life? 

Answering these questions can inspire and motivate you to work harder toward achieving your objectives. Whatever our goals are, we should be able to answer “why does it matter?” when coming up with the steps for reaching them.
And that's just how we work—so don’t feel guilty about your motivation, whatever it is. For example, losing weight because you want to look good is your right as a human being. But also think about why it’s important to you to look good, and what that means for your life.

Reflecting on your goals and the reasons behind them provides clarity that can help you stay focused and committed, even when the going gets tough.

Common Excuses for Not Achieving Your Goals

In addition to knowing why you want to hit your goals, it’s also important to understand what your potential roadblocks are. One thing I recently tried was writing down my "excuses" for not creating the habits that lead me to my goals. You know, the things that guide you toward being your best self, like going to the gym, disconnecting from technology, getting a good night's sleep, or eating a healthy breakfast. 

I recently found myself back in the habit of forgetting to get up and eat lunch because I was so busy working on my computer. I was also finding myself ordering DoorDash because I (or my husband) didn't make the time to prepare the ingredients for dinner.

Sounds familiar?? I figured a few of you could relate. But being aware of what holds us back is the first step to overcoming these obstacles and creating new habits.

So, I’ll ask again: What's stopping you from reaching your goals?

Without further ado… Here’s my list of the top excuses we tell ourselves (and what to do about it):

1. I don’t have enough time

This is a big one for most of us. There are always tasks that need to get done, and when we are trying to accomplish one thing, it feels like the other things fall by the wayside. 

Break down your goals into smaller tasks and then make a plan for them. How are you going to get them done?

Some of my favorite tools are Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, and Trello. All three allow me to color code different areas that I'm working on so I can visually see what needs focus at that moment.

2. I’m too tired.

This is one of the hardest excuses to overcome because it requires that we get out of our comfort zones and change our actions. Here are a few things that can help you make the adjustments needed to keep on going:

* Take a break. I know—your first thought may be that you don’t have the time to do this. But often, when we feel overwhelmed by the amount on our plate, one of the best things we can do is take a break. Go for a walk, get outside, get some fresh air and clear your mind. This will help your body re-energize. You'll be surprised by just how helpful this can be!

* Get enough sleep. This is important for me because when I sleep poorly, it leaves my body feeling exhausted the next day. And my quality of sleep is impacted by my actions - like drinking more than two glasses of wine or pints of beer or eating too much cheese/carbs. So here are some tips to help you get more rest: 1) Have a consistent bedtime, 2) Don’t eat late at night (you will have to work on this with me), and 3) Turn off all electronic devices in your room (yes, even your phone), 4) Dedicating time to work out, 5) Understanding that while we like it or not, alcohol does have an impact on quality of sleep. Moderation is key.

3. I don’t have the motivation. 

This is another difficult one that usually goes hand-in-hand with being tired or not having the time to do something, but there are tricks you can lean on to motivate yourself anew. 

* Ask your friends for help. Messaging a friend or client and asking if they have time for a quick chat can help me feel energized about completing my work on time. Even if we don't talk for a long time, it's great to have someone who is there to support you.

* Set a reward system. I love doing this with myself; I know that once I finish something at work, then I can do something that makes me happy! That may be going out with my family or having a glass of wine after a long day. This can be the perfect motivator for pressing on when it feels like I have no reason to do something.

At the end of the day, you need to remember why you are doing what you're doing and keep pushing through your frustrations. It won't be easy, but if you can focus on the positive impact that your goals will bring, nothing should stop you from accomplishing them!

We all have our own excuses for not going after what we want to achieve. Maybe we say we don't have enough time, or that we're too tired—but now that you can identify some of the most common excuses we tell ourselves, you can overcome them. With a little bit of effort, you can change your habits and start achieving your goals.

Download my Goal Planning Worksheet if you feel like you are struggling with your goals for your business (it even has a section dedicated to tackling excuses for achieving your goals!).