As you read this article, you might have a few projects you’ve been wanting to start — maybe for a while now, or even for years — but that have never made it past the wishful thinking stage. The question is: why? It’s quite possible that what’s been holding you back are simply excuses that stop you from taking action. This article highlights five of the most common ones, and explains why they’re actually faulty reasoning, limiting beliefs that stand between you and your goals.

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1. “I don’t have enough time”

One of the first excuses that keeps people from getting started is the lack of time. But here’s the truth: we always make time for what we consider a priority — and there’s always time for what we truly want to do. In other words, it all comes down to your determination: how badly do you want to see your project come to life?

Of course, time management starts with having a well-organized weekly schedule that includes all your tasks — and there’s no shortage of resources to help you with that if needed. However, even with great organization, your calendar might already be packed. That’s when you need to understand that every project requires sacrifices, especially in the beginning.

There are only 24 hours in a day, so you’ll inevitably have to give up certain activities to make room for your project: skipping your favorite show to finish a market study, pulling a few late nights to finally write your book, postponing some outings, or spending less time scrolling through social media. In short, eliminating low-priority tasks.

Ask any successful entrepreneur and they’ll tell you: everything worth achieving in life comes at a cost. It all depends on what you’re willing to give up. Fortunately, the more passionate you are about your project, the lighter those sacrifices will feel. So the real issue here isn’t your lack of time, but how hungry you are to see your project become reality.

2. “I don’t have enough money”

The lack of money is another major reason people give for not getting started. Yet, if you look closely, you’ll see there are always ways around it. Here are a few observations that prove it:

• Some projects require very little capital, especially those based on intellectual or creative services such as consulting, training, accounting or graphic design. What matters most at first is building your branding (logo, website, business cards, etc.) and having the basic tools you need to start operating.

• If your goal is to sell products, depending on what you offer, you can often start with a pre-order system. That way, your customers themselves provide the cash flow to fund your first batch of inventory.

• Crowdfunding campaigns can also be a great option, especially if your project is built around a strong, meaningful vision that your target audience can easily connect with.

• Public funding opportunities may be available in your city, region, or country, particularly if your project contributes to local development, innovation, or addresses a real social issue. Take the time to research what’s out there!

• When it comes to private funding (banks, investors, etc.), the key factor will always be your project’s credibility. The more solid and well-structured your business plan, the easier it will be to earn the trust of potential backers.

Finally, even if you can’t immediately start the commercial side of your project, you can already begin by building a community online. Share your expertise, educate your audience, offer tips — this will help you grow both visibility and credibility. And who knows? You might end up funding your project through the monetization of your online presence. There’s always a way.

3. “There are already people doing this”

Some people hesitate to start because they believe their offer already exists on the market. In reality, competition has never been a real obstacle to entrepreneurship. To illustrate this, imagine standing in front of your house or apartment building. Just a few steps away, there’s probably a bakery. Walk a little farther, maybe to the next corner, and you’ll likely find another bakery. Turn right, and perhaps a hundred meters ahead, there’s a third one. What’s the point of this little mental walk?

These three bakeries all share the same market zone. Yet every morning, each of them has its own line of loyal customers. Why? Because they meet a real, ongoing need, and the demand is large enough to support them all. Most customers simply choose the bakery that’s closest to them. And that’s exactly what you need to understand: no matter how many people are already doing what you want to do, if your offer meets a real need, there will always be an audience for you, people who will feel closer to your brand, your story, and your way of doing things. So don’t worry about the competition. Instead, focus on what makes you different, your unique value proposition.

4. “I don’t have the right degree”

Maybe haven’t you followed the type of training or academic path people usually expect from someone launching a project like yours. But don’t let that stop you. A degree is only a proof of skills, it’s not the skills themselves. You can absolutely develop strong expertise without formal education, especially if you’re self-taught or deeply passionate about your field, having read, practiced and learned on your own. Your future clients won’t judge you by your diploma, but by the quality of the service or product you deliver which depends entirely on your abilities, not your certificates.

That said, some professions do legally require specific qualifications, for example regulated trades or professions, whether manual (like hairdressing or baking) or professional (like accounting or law). In such cases, nothing prevents you from starting to share your passion online, building a community around your expertise while you work toward obtaining the necessary certification to operate legally.

And remember — you can even launch a project that involves a key skill you don’t personally have. All you need to do is partner with someone who does and build a team where everyone contributes their strengths.

5. “I’m too old for this”

Age is not a barrier to entrepreneurship, unless, of course, you’re 60 and planning to become a professional athlete, in which case the limitation would be physiological rather than mental. As long as you can think, analyze, and make decisions, you have everything you need to bring a project to life.

For tasks that may require physical abilities you no longer have, you can always delegate. There’s always someone who can “do” what you can no longer “do yourself.” The only real obstacle here is social pressure: that unspoken rule suggesting that certain things shouldn’t be done at a certain age (like going back to school, for example). But you don’t have to accept that pressure, nor let others’ opinions dictate your choices. The real question is: do you prefer to stay in your social comfort zone and live with regrets, or to challenge the gaze of others and dare to live your dreams?

You are your own obstacle!

By now, you’ve probably realized that the only real barrier between you and your project is your own mindset, the mental blocks that keep you from taking action. Make the decision today to stop giving yourself excuses! When you think about it, those excuses usually stem from a lack of confidence, a lack of information, or simply the fear of the unknown, of adversity or of failure. Dare to face your fears, because if others dit it before, so can you!