5 Excuses that Are Keeping You from Following Your Dreams

We all have dreams, but we also have voices in our heads, or in real life, that tell us to be practical, responsible and “normal.” Those voices of “reason” can lead to us packing our dreams away, labeling them as “childish” or “unrealistic” and coming up with all kinds of excuses to justify doing so.

Let’s talk about excuses for a minute. It’s scary to follow our dreams; to go after our dreams requires us to be vulnerable. It forces us to share our deepest heart with a world that may not always handle it with the tender care that it deserves. To begin to follow our dreams is to risk having our heart broken. Excuses are a way to protect ourselves from that risk.

But what is the alternative? When we silence the voice inside us that yearns for true joy in favor of security, we have given up more than just the dream. I believe that God wants us to be joyful and brave and to fulfill our highest potential.

Father Moon implores us in his autobiography to, “Dream dreams that others dare not imagine. Set goals for yourselves that have meaning, and become global leaders who will bring benefit to humankind,” (136).

If we are truly meant to not just dream the biggest dreams, but to put them into action, we need to kick those excuses to the curb ASAP!

Excuse One: I’m Too Old

I recall a conversation my mom had with someone who was thinking about going back to college, “But I’ll be (x number of years) by the time I graduate!” they lamented. She responded, “And how old will you be in four years if you don’t go?” Ah, the wise words of a mother. She went back to school late in life herself and earned her teaching degree. She’ll be retiring this year with a pension and some well-deserved time off (go, Mom!).

But back to you…

It’s never too late to start doing what you love. There are no age requirements or restrictions. This is just another excuse we tell ourselves in order to make us feel better about choosing not to pursue our dreams.

In the words of Billy Joel: “You can get what you want or you can just get old.”

Excuse Two: I Don’t Know How to Do It

Who cares? Everyone starts out as an amateur. If you’ve gotten this far in the article, then you at least know how to read. Read books, do research, find a mentor, ask questions. We live in an age when knowledge is readily accessible. Research the programs at different universities if your dream requires a degree. Find a mentor in the industry if it doesn’t. Most of the time, people are willing to share advice. After all, they started out as amateurs once, too!

You don’t have to know everything in order to start. You will learn valuable lessons in the process of doing. The most important thing is a willingness to learn, and the commitment to stick with it.

Excuse 3: I Don’t Have Time

If it’s important to you, you make the time.

As a young mom, I was overwhelmed with my new responsibility and role, not to mention sleep deprivation! But when I left my full time job to be a stay-at-home mom, I began thinking about what I wanted my life to look like. I knew that I would eventually start working again, but I also knew I didn’t want a typical 9-to-5 job. I began writing and playing music whenever I had a free moment. At a certain point, not doing those things was more painful than putting in a little extra effort to arrange my schedule to include them. I wrote fragment sentences on my phone while breastfeeding. I forced myself to ignore the dishes in the sink after the baby went to bed, and sat down to write instead.

It didn’t happen right away. In fact, it took about five years, but my writing has turned into a part time job that I can do from home. I’m still growing, I still have more goals, but I’m walking my path.

Anything is better than nothing: if all you can give is 5 minutes, do it! Then see if you can squeeze in 10. You’ll be amazed at how creative you can get with your time when you make something a priority.

Excuse Four: It’s Not Practical/Realistic/Profitable

The value of following a dream doesn’t just come from monetary success: It comes from fulfilling your life’s purpose. It comes from the exhilaration of doing something that fills you with immense joy. It comes from the love of the journey. Our dream is the one we should want to follow without anyguarantee of success or recognition.

Excuse Five: I Don’t Know What I Want

Maya Angelou once said, “You find your path by walking it.” If you are standing still, waiting for something to fall into your lap, you will be waiting a long time. We have to make effort, get out into the world and try something new. You don’t have to quit your full-time job tomorrow to become a painter, but maybe take a painting class on the weekend. It will either encourage you to follow that passion, or lead you to the realization that that’s not what you really want. Finding out what you don’t want can be just as valuable, but the only way to know is to start looking.

Get out there and make mistakes! Your dream right now may not be your dream five years from now. That’s okay—you’ll only figure that out if you get out there and try it. One step will lead to another. The first step is to get quiet and listen to the deep yearning of your own heart. What does it say?