Kathy Carlton Willis is not only an encouraging cheerleader for writers and speakers, her practical wisdom as a life coach helps people move forward in faith. In this Goals UPGRADE, Kathy identifies five excuses that hold us back.
“How would your life be different," Kathy asks, "if you could ditch excuses for good?"
As a long-time excuse maker, I (Dawn) understand the distraction and loss that comes from living with excuses. In fact, my goals mantra has become, "There may be reasons, but not excuses."
Kathy continues . . .
One of my biggest blessings, but also biggest struggles as a life coach, is to recognize what causes someone to feel stuck, and to strategize biblical ways to help them be free of those restraints so they can function in freedom. It is challenging because some prefer to stay stuck rather than step out in faith into unfamiliar territory.
Faith gives us the bravery we need to move forward, one foot in front of the other, until we get to the destination God has for us.
Are you feeling stucik? What’s holding you back from pursuing the goals God has for you?
First, let’s look at the typical excuses we give.
5 Common Excuses
- I don’t have time.
- You don’t know my story, my hang-ups, my trials.
- I can’t afford it.
- I have a broken relationship.
- It’s out of my control.
You make your own list. What’s holding you back? Why can’t you or won’t you take the next step needed toward your goal?
6 Ways to Ditch the Excuses for Good
1. Is it an excuse or a reason?
- If it’s an excuse, learn not to listen to it.
- If it’s a true reason, learn a “work around” so the reason is merely a detour rather than a dead end.
2. What fear is attached to your excuse?
If you find yourself in a place where you aren’t comfortable moving forward, usually it’s because there’s a fear holding you back.
What do you fear might happen if you move toward the goal God has for you?
- Fear of failure?
- Fear of success?
- Fear of change?
- Fear of what others think?
- Fear of it costing something you hold dear?
3. Kick the excuses to the curb and use godly self-talk instead.
Evict the excuses out of your head and heart. Then learn a new truth statement to repeat to yourself instead.
You can find what God thinks about you in Scripture and can apply it to your situation.
4. Make moving forward a priority.
Don’t wallow in stuckness.
Don’t give your excuses permission to have control over you.
Determine what God wants for your life and don’t let anything hold you back from it.
Even if you have to wait for something out of your control to happen, you can have “active waiting” by learning how to adopt the right thinking so it’s in place when you get the green light to move forward.
5. Spend as much time seeking the solution as believing the excuse.
Evaluate what it would take to tackle the problem.
Decide if you were aiming for the wrong destination—maybe the solution is a different destination or outcome. Seek God for that direction and then ask Him to help the next step become apparent to you.
6. Embrace the work of change.
Many people don’t move toward their goal because they’re comfortable where they are and don’t want to put in the extra effort necessary to get to where they wish they could go in their lives.
Sweat equity isn’t just for house projects—it’s for life projects.
We might get a little uncomfortable moving to the next step. That’s okay if it’s a temporary discomfort. And hey, that’s one reason Jesus sent the Comforter, right? He knew we’d be uncomfortable living out the deeds of His will in our lives.
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom” (Galatians 5:7-9 NLT).
Would you allow a thin rubber band wrapped around your middle to hold you back from rescuing a child from a burning building? Of course not.
Don’t let a thin excuse hold you back from what God wants in your life—from what you know to be a desire you have as well. Risk the momentary pinch or snap of that rubber band as you disable it from holding you back, and then all of a sudden you realize there’s less resistance than there was before.
What’s holding you back today?
Kathy Carlton Willis, God’s Grin Gal, shines the light on what holds you back so you can grow. She’s
a speaker and author with over a thousand articles online and in print, as well as 
her Bible study, Grin with Grace. Her popular blog, Grin & Grow with Kathy is featured on CBN. She just released a training manual for speakers called, The Ultimate Speaker’s Guide. Kathy and husband Russ are trying to raise seven-month old Hettie the Boston Terrier—but in truth, she’s training them.
Graphic adapted, courtesy of Geralt at Pixabay.