22 Ways to Quit Making Excuses and Hop Off the Complain Train NOW

“Whoa is me.”“My life is so hard.” “I’m having a pity party and you’re all invited.” “I can’t follow my dreams because I don’t have any money.” “I’m stuck on this life path and I can’t change it.” “This is the only job I will ever be able to get with my past experience.”

Does this sound like you? Even if you aren’t saying these things, you may very well have thought them before. I know I have.

"The world isn't interested in the storms you encountered but whether or not you brought in the ship." - Raul Armesto

When you are on your deathbed are you going to focus on how much you hated your day job for forty years, never got to follow your passions, or regret putting off that trip to Fiji? Or are you going to think back and smile at how hard you worked to rise above the challenges life handed you and tell stories to your grandchildren about how much fun you had fighting for your dreams to come true? I know which future I want.

“How much do you have to lose? Take a look at the guy 10 years ahead of you. Do you want to be that guy?” Dan Andrews

Simple Exercise

Imagine yourself in ten years. What are you doing? Are you happy? Are you still at the same job? Do you get excited about what your future will bring? If you aren’t excited, you need to change something RIGHT NOW.

Don’t spend Memorial Day weekend vegging out on the couch, watching pointless things on television, and wasting another weekend away. Here are 22 ways to quit making excuses, get off your butt, and immediately go change your future for the better.

  1. Start a habit of rising earlier in the morning.
  2. Challenge how you view starting a business by reading The Four Hour Work Week.
  3. Get motivated to crush it by watching Gary Vaynerchuk speak.
  4. Take the first steps towards building an empire.
  5. Read The Millionaire Fastlane, get off the sidewalk, out of the slow lane, and start creating a fastlane business.
  6. Get your finances in check by signing up for Mint.com.
  7. Shock yourself into making financial changes by reading Your Money or Your Life.
  8. Make sure you are a recession proof graduate and can find a job.
  9. Become determined to break out of the 9 to 5.
  10. Watch Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture and start to follow your childhood dreams.
  11. Clean out your closets, tackle your clutter, and sell your crap.
  12. Go to the library and check out one of the 100 Books Every Man Must Read.
  13. Create multiple income streams and earn more money.
  14. Start a blog on WordPress for free.
  15. Take a risk and organize an international adventure.
  16. Slow down your spending by unautomating your finances.
  17. Make the decision to be remarkable.
  18. Learn a new language in three months.
  19. Lay out plans to Escape from Cubicle Nation.
  20. Start making money doing what you love by becoming a Career Renegade.
  21. Write down plans to negotiate your salary at work.
  22. Minimize your possessions as start living a minimalist life.

When you’re feeling down and out:

  • Close your eyes.
  • Blast some music.
  • Collect your thoughts.
  • Go do something.

You’ll feel better.

Caleb Wojcik