Did you know that the average person makes 6 excuses per day?
365 days in a year = 2,190 excuses per year.
– “I’m too tired.”
– “I don’t have time.”
– “I don’t have enough money.”
– “I come from a rough background.”
These excuses stem from a mindset that views external circumstances as the driving force in life.
It’s easy to believe that things happen to us, rather than understanding that we can take control and make things happen for us.
This is what’s called a “locus of control” problem.
I first learned about the concept of locus of control from Viktor Frankl’s book a “Man’s Search for Meaning”.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
– Viktor Frankl
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves…
In the book, he explains where we perceive the control over our lives to come from. It can be divided into two categories:
1. External Locus of Control: Believing that external forces—circumstances, luck, or the influence of others—dictate your outcomes.
2. Internal Locus of Control: Believing that you have personal agency over your life, your choices, and ultimately, your success.
When you have an external locus of control, you tend to shift responsibility for your circumstances to outside influences.
Stop telling yourself things like:
“It’s not my fault I’m behind,”
“I can’t change this situation because it’s out of my hands.”
This mindset leads to stagnation, because if everything is beyond your control, what motivation is there to possibly take action?
On the other hand, adopting an internal locus of control gives you the understanding that you are responsible for your actions, your mindset, and ultimately, your destiny.
Entrepreneurs and creators often face countless obstacles — time constraints, financial challenges, self-doubt, and more, which is exactly what motivated me to build 5 Days to Clarity.
People who succeed are the ones who look beyond the obstacles and take full responsibility for navigating through them.
If you have an internal locus of control, you’ll see challenges as opportunities to grow and adapt.
This mindset shift is what separates those who thrive from those who remain stuck.
One of the most essential jobs of entrepreneurs is to manifest the impossible and bring to life what others would not have thought to be possible.
The ability to do this is what made Henry Ford, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and others as great as they are today. However, sometimes, leaders require bending the reality to get others to do what seems impossible.
Steve Jobs was so skilled at doing this that his ability was named ‘Reality Distortion Field’ which is explained in great detail in one of my favorite books, the biography of “Steve Jobs” written by Walter Isaacson.
Reality distortion field (RDF) is actually a term originating from a ‘Star Trek’ episode where it was used to show how the aliens built their own world through a force of their own minds.
Let me say that again…
Built
their
own
world
through
a force
of their
own
minds…
It was first referenced by an Apple software developer in 1981 to describe Jobs’ charisma, aura, and its effects on the Macintosh developers.
He explained to a new employee that this power enables Jobs to convince anybody of any impossible thing.
To adopt anything even remotely close to this mindset or power however, you must first have an internal locus of control.
How can I develop an internal locus of control?
Well, let’s break down some of the most common excuses we hear and reverse them.
This is your new belief system:
– You’re not too tired. Physical and mental exhaustion are real, but often the exhaustion you feel is tied to overwhelm and lack of focus. Sharpen your priorities, get better rest, and tackle the things that matter most.
– You do have enough time. We all have the same 24 hours *but* the difference lies in how you use them. Replace mindless activities with deliberate, focused action. Even an hour a day spent on high-priority tasks can make a huge difference.
– You do have enough money. It’s not about having resources; it’s about being resourceful. Many of today’s most successful businesses started with little to no capital. Focus on leveraging what you have—whether it’s time, skills, or connections—and build from there.
– Your background doesn’t define your future. Where you come from may influence your journey, but it does not dictate where you can go. Countless entrepreneurs have risen from challenging backgrounds to create incredible success stories by refusing to let their past determine their future.
This isn’t easy, and it won’t happen overnight.
Changing the way you think and act takes time and effort. It’s hard to break old habits and stop making excuses, especially when you’ve been doing it for a long time.
You have to be patient and keep working on it, even when it feels tough.
But remember, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
Every small step you take gets you closer to building that internal strength.
Stick with it, and over time, you’ll see real changes in how you handle challenges.
I covered this in a recent reel on Instagram.
If you dont have an extra 90 seconds to watch it, here are some habits to change right away in order to get started:
– Stop externalizing blame. The more you believe external factors control your life, the less power you’ll have to change it. Own your outcomes.
– Start taking full responsibility. Accepting full responsibility for your actions, your habits, and your mindset is the first step toward true control over your success.
– Focus on small, daily actions. Progress comes from consistent effort, not bursts of perfection. Commit to small, intentional actions every day that align with your goals.
Success isn’t about eliminating challenges — it’s about taking control, no matter what circumstances you face. It’s about embracing suffering and hardship and turning adversity into advantage.
By adopting an internal locus of control, you can eliminate procrastination and excuses, taking control and ownership of your path and driving yourself toward anything you want in life.
If you’re serious about growing as an entrepreneur or creator, start by shifting your mindset.
You hold the keys to your own fate — now it’s time to act on it.
