You vs Excuses

You Vs Excuses

Hey team! Here we are again, back together. A new year has started, and things are moving along. I’m pretty excited, and I hope you’re enjoying the start of 2025.

I wanted to share something with you that I recently read. This quote really struck a chord with me, “It’s you versus your excuses.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had moments in my life where I’ve made excuses for not getting things done. I’ve put things off until tomorrow, procrastinated, and even felt depressed. There have been times when I’ve justified why I’m doing things the way I am—or why I’m not doing things the way I should be.

When it comes down to it, the simple truth is this: It’s you versus your excuses. It’s not somebody else’s fault. As soon as you realize that, everything changes. It’s about taking responsibility, not blaming someone or something else.

For example, I’ve been wrestling with making time to go to the gym. I’ve set up my life in such a way that I have all the excuses. I want to read with my boys. I want to get them ready for school. Karen needs my help. The list goes on. But at the end of the day, it’s not about any of those things.

It’s me versus my excuses. It has nothing to do with my boys, my wife, or my busy schedule. I need to put things in the right order, stop making excuses, and accept that if I want to be the best version of myself, it’s up to me.

Here’s another example. I haven’t been reading as much as I used to. Why? Because of excuses. I could have read three books by now—or at least one—but I haven’t. And before you say, “Chad, it’s only the 9th or 10th of January,” think about this: If I read for just 35 to 45 minutes a day, I could finish a book in half a month. But those excuses creep in.

This is just some straight talk. If we want to be valuable—to ourselves and others—we need to stop making excuses and get with it.

Above my desk, there’s a sign that says: Be valuable. Nothing less will do.If you want to be valuable to yourself, stop making excuses. For me, that means going to the gym.

God bless you, team. Be valuable. Nothing less will do. And remember: It’s you versus your excuses. It’s not somebody else’s fault. It’s not your schedule. Not your boss, your supervisor, or your clients.

It’s you. So, stop making excuses. For me, that starts right now. I’m heading to the gym. God bless, and I’ll see you next week.