Before You Make Another Excuse…

I’ve learned that not every excuse comes from the same place.

One of my greatest challenges has been overthinking. I can play something out from beginning to end, consider what could go right, what could go wrong, how it might affect other people, and probably come up with a few scenarios that nobody else has even thought about.

Some of that is just how I’m wired. I believe in thinking things through. I believe we should consider how our decisions affect other people. And there are times when slowing down and giving something more thought is wisdom.

But I’ve also had to learn when thinking has crossed the line into overthinking.

There have been times when perfectionism made me feel like something needed to be just right before I moved. There have been seasons when I wrestled with whether I was qualified enough or capable enough. Other times, I allowed what other people wanted or needed from me to become more important than what I knew I needed to do.

And then there are days when I'm simply tired.

That distinction matters.

I’ve had to learn not to be so hard on myself that I call everything an excuse. Sometimes you really do need rest. Sometimes there are other things happening in your life that require your attention. And sometimes extending yourself a little grace is the healthiest thing you can do.

But sometimes, it really is an excuse.

And when I recognize that, I’ve learned to dig a little deeper.

Why am I not doing this?

Do I physically not have the energy? Am I mentally exhausted? Is there something else happening in my life that needs my attention? Have I overthought this until I’ve talked myself out of moving? Am I afraid? Am I trying to get everything perfect before I begin?

Because if I can identify what is really happening, then I can deal with the real issue.

Excuses don't protect us. If anything, they can become walls that keep us comfortable while also keeping us from moving forward. They can cause us to waste time, resources, energy, and opportunities.

And this is where faith has to enter the conversation.

Actually, faith should have been there from the beginning.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We often talk about faith as something we believe…and it is…but faith also has to be walked out.

You may not see the manifestation yet. You may not know whether what you're attempting will be successful. You may still have questions.

Walk it out anyway.

At some point, faith has to challenge the excuse that keeps telling you why you can't.

So maybe today isn't the day you accomplish the entire thing. Maybe today is simply the day you get honest about what's been keeping you from it.

Name it. Recognize it.

And then ask yourself a different question:

How can I?

How can I take one step?
How can I make room for this?
How can I stop allowing perfect to prevent progress?
How can I move forward with what I have right now?

P.S. If you already know you've been making an excuse, don't make another excuse for not dealing with the excuse.