THE 4 BS EXCUSES THAT PREVENT SUCCESS

It's time to talk about the primary excuses people make as to why they aren’t:

• Doing what they want to do
• Already wealthy
• Investing
• Saving
• Making progress on a goal they say is important
• Getting out of debt
• Getting the support and training they want and need
• Living the greatest version of their lives

...and the endless list of unlived dreams goes on

I call them the 4 BS Excuses - because they are totally BS and because it's important we say things are as they are and be honest about what’s going on so we can do something about it.

The 4 BS Excuses are not only BS they are scary!

The most frightening thing about these 4 Scary BS Excuses is that they are deeply, socially acceptable excuses. They are socially acceptable and socially supported excuses to let ourselves and others off the hook so we never make progress on our dreams. 

The 4 Scary BS Excuses are:

• time, 

• money, 

• Other people in our lives, and 

• Ourselves. 

In this video I expand on each of the 4 Scary BS Excuses , why they are so dangerous and give you ammunition to protect yourself from them.

Watch the video now.

Let’s unpack each of the 4 Scary BS Excuses and if you’re feeling brave you can recall how often you use them in your life and in what circumstances. 

BS EXCUSE #1 = TIME

Time is one of our most precious resources we all have, and it's also a huge excuse that most people use to get out of taking the action needed to create the life they want.

Over and over I hear…

"Ann I really want to learn how to safely invest"

BUT “I just don't have the time" 

I know - you're busy, busy, busy. 

There’s a great phrase that goes

And when we use the BS excuse, “I would do it BUT I don’t have the time” we are speaking BS.

Every single person on this earth gets the same amount of time. 

There are only 24 hours in every day, seven days in every week, 30 or 31 sometimes or 28 days in every month. That’s it, that’s what we all get.

Yet some people manage to get a lot done with that time, and others just squander it.

People who achieve a lot, tend to truly value their time and they never use lack of time as an excuse for not doing the things they want. (tweetable)

Whether it’s:

• Tracking the flow of money to be a wealthy spender 
• Getting that index tracker portfolio happening  
• Breaking free from debt 
• Getting their will sorted 
• writing that book… or whatever else it is you say you want to do. 

If you find yourself using time as an excuse, be warned. 

Using time (or more specifically lack of time) as the reason you’re not doing something is one of the most devastating excuses we can use. 

The more we use lack of time as an excuse, the more we believe it and the longer we leave it before we do the things we need to do to get the result we want. 

When we use lack of time as our BS excuse of choice we turn it into a reality. We waste time delaying instead of just getting on and doing the things we say we really want to do. 

Time does run out and with it you proved your BS excuse true. 

Your old excuse becomes your new truth and a valid reason for why you won't achieve your success. 

So, if you're catching yourself saying… 

"Oh I would, I just don't have the time". 

Catch yourself out fast . 

Remember this is one of the most fatal of the 4 Scary BS excuses.

The truth is, we find the time for things we value. 

When you no longer let this be your excuse you will find the time. You will become more effective and efficient. You will learn how to get more from your precious time and develop the discipline to stop squandering your time. 

BS EXCUSE #2 = MONEY

The BS excuse of not having the money to do the things we say we want to do, is just that BS. I don’t have the money is also a deeply socially acceptable excuse.

"Oh I would BUT, I just don't have the money" 

Whether it's that amazing trip you say you want to take, whether it's that investing you want to start, whether it's that online business you know will transform your life, or the book you want to write - whatever it is, lack of money and time are the two deeply socially acceptable excuses to let yourself off the hook and stay stuck.

What do I mean by socially acceptable? 

Does this sound familiar, or something along these lines?

Someone says "I'd really love to learn how to dance the flamenco" 

You go "Great, why don't you do it?" 

They say, "Oh I would BUT I'm so busy, and I just don't have the time. Plus, it costs money and I don't have that spare either." 

When most people are slapped with the double “no money / no time” whammy they back off.

A so-called friend will quickly let you off the hook with a quick "I get it, life is so busy".

Perhaps they will even go on down with you and wallow in the “no money / no time “ pity party. You know the one where people try to outdo each other on just how busy and broke they are.

A real friend on the other hand, somebody you really cares about you would say:

• "How could you find that time?", 

• "How would you find the money if it was an emergency?"  

• “If it is truly this important to you, how will you make it happen?" 

How can I? Is a far more empowering practice than going the lazy route of I can’t because…

How can I – triggers our creativity.

Lack of money is never the problem. The problem is lack of wanting it badly enough to do whatever it takes to make it so.

Lack of creativity is the problem and may even be so bold as to say laziness is the problem.

We have become accustomed to a society that makes it totally OK to let ourselves off the hook rather than holding us to the highest version of ourselves where we find a way to have and create the life we really want. 

That’s the lack of time and money BS excuses out the window. What can we obliterate next...

BS EXCUSE #3 = THE PEOPLE WE LOVE!

Other people, specifically those we say we care about are the next hideous BS excuse we pull out to get out of doing the things we say and know are important to us. 

“Oh Ann, I really want to start investing but can’t until the kids' education is sorted out.” 

“I really want to climb out of this debt hole but my husband's not on board and just keeps spending”

“I want to start investing but my sister told me how dangerous and scary it is”

Other people are a deeply acceptable excuse for us to not live the life we want. 

I've got my kids, my partner, my parents, my siblings…

I know how seductive this excuse is. 

It’s seductive because we can pretend it’s because we love them. I caught myself using this particular BS. I used my fur kids as an excuse for not doing something I need to do. 

But the reality is, all these reasons why we can’t do the things we want because of the people and beings in our lives is all BS. 

Find the courage to do what it takes to live this life and stop using others as the excuse for not doing what you must and want to do.

And Gandhi said:

You see this quote on lovely memes all over the place and people will get all warm and fuzzy and think "Isn't that so lovely" but in truth it is a super tough thing to do.

“Be the change we want to see" means personal accountability. 

“Be the change we want to see" means letting go of victimhood.

We need to be the change–NOW. 

Not ”I'll change when I no longer have the kid, the dog, the husband, the parents, siblings, the employees… holding me back”

No, no, no, no, it's up to us. Stop the BS excuses.

Three BS excuses down and one to go.

BS EXCUSE #4 = OURSELVES

The final Scary BS Excuse is THE core of the reason why most people don't take the steps towards what they really want.

This is the real reason we use the first three Bs excuses and it’s that at some level we have lost confidence in ourselves. 

The biggest BS excuse we need to watch out for is the not enough monster.

We're not good enough. 

We're not ready enough. 

We're not prepared enough.

We’re not pretty, skinny, funny, clever,... enough.

Our idea is not valuable enough.

Our product isn’t profound enough

Our list isn’t big enough

...

The not-enuff monster is scary!

It can cause us to sit quivering on the sideline…

• I’ll keep researching these index tracker thing a bit more before I feel ready enough to start investing,
• I’ll work on my online programme a little bit more before I can get it out there. 
• I'll keep editing my photography before I'll make it available for sale. 

I'm not good enough yet, it’s not good enough yet…

...this is the greatest monster (and BS excuse) we all have to conquer. 

We don’t overcome this BS excuse by trying to build up our self-worth, confidence and competence to the point where we feel we’re finally enough. 

The truth is, unless you are completely delusional, to be human means we are always going to have doubts and have many, many, many bouts of not-enough-itis.

There are always going to be times when we feel like a fraud. 

We won’t feel good enough. 

Every time before I walk on a stage I feel “not good enough”. 

I feel like I’m going to throw up from the sheer terror of being not enough. I fret that I’ll mess up and they will hate me.

Despite the feeling, I taught myself that this is just my little “not-enuff” monster coming to wish me well and I step up there and give it my all.

Do you have the courage to step up even when you're not ready? 

When it's not perfect? 

When you, it, they are not enough?

Please know this… 

Perfection or waiting for everything to be enough is the greatest way to hide, and the most effective way to never get and live the life you really want. 

There they are, the 4 Scary BS Excuses of no time, no money, no support, and not enough. 

These are the greatest barriers you need to overcome in order to live the life you want, and achieve your financial freedom and whatever success means to you in each area of your life. 

When we are aware of those 4 Scary BS Excuses we can stop using them. 

When we stop using them, we free ourselves to move forward and get on with living this great juicy precious life. 

When we let the monster out and into the light, we see it for what it is. 

A small scared “not e-nuff” monster coming to say hallo and wanting to be held and told…

 “it’s okay to not be enough, it’s OK to be not ready, it’s OK to be scared - none of us are ever enough and that's what makes us already enough”.

Remember your freedom is created by taking one step at a time, it’s created by having assets working for you, and it’s up to you to take those steps. 

Big love,

Ann