Have you noticed the number of excuses that people come up for not doing things? I expect that you might have used one or two yourself – all of us have. The problem with making excuses is that we procrastinate and get stuck in a rut and find ourselves struggling to do tasks that need doing or feeling discontented as we don’t achieve the goals and success that we want in life. The knock on effect can be to damage your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Most people have procrastinated at one time or another and one of the ways to get over this is to stop making excuses by recognising them for exactly what they are – a delaying tactic and kick them into touch for good. Listed below are 5 common excuses that people use for not taking action.

1. The "Lack of time" excuse

The lack of time excuse is one of the most common excuses that people use for not doing something. The fact is that there are only 24hrs in a day and there will only ever be 24hrs in a day, which means that it’s up to you to decide your priorities and manage your time. How often have you said to yourself that you can’t start a task because you only have half an hour to spare? The fact is that if you used those 30 minutes you will have moved towards completing the task rather than doing nothing.

2. The "If only ..." excuse

The “if only ...” excuse is one that nearly everyone has used at one time or another to avoid doing something. “If only it wasn’t raining I’d go for a walk”, “ I’d sort out the spare room, if only I had some packing cases” ... People use the “if only” excuse in all sorts of contexts. Instead of saying “ if only” and doing nothing – think about the solution that will help you get started.

3. The "I can’t.." excuse

The “I can’t” excuse is often used when people are either afraid or apprehensive of doing something. Recognising what you’re afraid of is the first step in making progress. Instead of focussing on what you think you can’t do – adopt a 'can do' approach.

4. The "It wouldn’t work" excuse

Deciding something wouldn’t work before even trying is a comfortable excuse for not doing anything. It allows you to avoid trying something and it allows you to be stuck. However, this approach is likely to make you feel very dissatisfied in the long run. Take the risk and have a go.

5. The "Responsibility" excuse

Many people like to use the responsibilities that they have such as children, elderly parents or their work, as an excuse for procrastinating. Of course responsibilities have an effect on what you can and cannot do, but it’s important to be honest and recognise whether you are using them as a foil to avoid getting started on things you should or want to be doing.

These are just five excuses but there are many others that people use to avoid doing things. If you have a tendency to procrastinate and it’s something that you’d like to banish, then you need to be honest with yourself and examine the different excuses you may be using. Learning how to beat procrastination effectively can make a real difference to your self-esteem and self-confidence. It’s now time to kick those excuses into touch.