Mindset Rehab: Addiction to Excuses — Why Your Brain Is the Best Liar You’ve Ever Met
- Sally Luehman
- Nov 17, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2025
Your brain is the best liar you’ve ever met. It’s sneaky — it knows exactly how to make you believe your own excuses.
“It’s not the right time.”“I need to finish one more thing first.”“I don’t know how.”“I can’t do that — I’m an introvert.”“I’m not ready yet.”
Sound familiar?
Every one of those excuses sounds smart in the moment. They’re reasonable, logical, and convincing.But could they actually be lies your untrained brain whispers — lies that quietly sabotage your business, your growth, and your potential?
Welcome to Mindset Rehab, where we unpack the ten most common mental addictions that hold entrepreneurs back.And one of the most powerful? The addiction to excuses.
🧠 Why Excuses Feel So Good
Excuses give us a micro-hit of relief — the same kind of emotional “buzz” you’d get from nicotine or a shot of tequila.They let you off the hook for a moment, and that feels good.But that temporary relief is the emotional nicotine of entrepreneurship — a quick buzz of comfort that quietly poisons your future self.
We make excuses to avoid pain, to seek pleasure, and to save energy. It’s not laziness. It’s protection. It’s your untrained brain trying to keep you safe — familiar — in control.
🔍 What an Excuse Really Is
An excuse is a thought your brain offers to protect your current self from discomfort— at the expense of your future self’s success.
Your brain’s # 1 job is to:
Avoid pain
Seek pleasure
Conserve energy
And excuses check all three boxes.
Avoid pain: “If I don’t try, I can’t fail.”
Seek pleasure: “Reorganizing my inbox feels better than rejection.”
Conserve energy: “Thinking hard is exhausting — maybe tomorrow.”
The problem?Every time you make an excuse, you’re not lying to anyone else — you’re lying to yourself.And that slowly destroys self-trust.
😬 The Moment Accountability Breaks
When your accountability breaks, your confidence follows.
You say you’ll do it. You don’t. And suddenly your brain stops believing your own words.
For me, it shows up in small things — like a bag of Lay’s potato chips. AM Sally- walks right by. PM Sally? She’s got a whole list of reasons why she “deserves a handful.” In three seconds flat, my hand is in the bag and my untrained brain is thrilled — while the part of me that made a commitment just watched it happen.
That’s what happens every time we break a promise to ourselves — whether it’s chips or business goals. Each broken commitment chips away at confidence and self-respect.
🚧 The Top 7 Excuses Entrepreneurs Believe
1. The Decision Excuse
I’ll buy when I’ve saved more money. I’ll post once my plan is perfect. It’s not indecision — it’s fear of being wrong. Our brains crave safety more than progress.
2. The Money Excuse
I can’t afford that. This isn’t about your bank account — it’s about self-trust. For years I told myself I couldn’t afford the high price of coaching, when the truth was I didn’t trust myself to make the investment worth it. Money excuses are emotional, not financial.
3. The Time Excuse
Once things slow down, I’ll… Things never slow down. Time excuses are just priority lies — your brain’s clever way of keeping you comfortable.
4. The Visibility Excuse
I’m not ready to post video yet. Translation: I’m afraid people won’t like me. Productivity without vulnerability is the easiest hiding spot for entrepreneurs.(Spoiler: this one’s mine.)
5. The Control Excuse
When everything’s ready, I’ll go all in. Waiting for perfect is control in disguise.The truth? Certainty comes after you commit, not before.
6. The Rejection Excuse
I’m waiting to hear back before I follow up. Translation: I’m avoiding rejection. Avoidance protects your ego — but it shrinks your leadership. One of my favorite books for this is Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy — a reminder to do the hard thing first.
7. The Procrastination Excuse
I’ll start Monday. Procrastination feels like productivity because it gives your brain a hit of pride without the pain of action. It keeps you busy instead of brave.
Every delay adds weight — tasks pile up, decisions get heavier, and before long, you’re buried under the clutter of your own avoidance.
💭 Where Excuses Come From
Every excuse starts as a feeling you don’t want to feel:Fear. Uncertainty. Embarrassment. Pressure.Your brain’s survival wiring kicks in: avoid pain, seek pleasure, conserve energy.
You’re not lazy. You’re addicted to avoidance. And every time you say “later,” you trade your future self for temporary peace.
🪞The Accountability Gap
When you make an excuse, you lie to yourself. And that gap — between what you said you’d do and what you actually did — is where your potential dies.
Once self-trust erodes, your motivation follows. You stop believing your own words. And when you don’t believe yourself, no planner, no CRM, no podcast will fix it.
⏳ How Excuses Steal from Your Future Self
Excuses don’t pause progress — they reverse it. They make you think you’re protecting yourself from failure, when really, you’re protecting your comfort. Ask yourself:
“Am I building my future self right now — or betraying her?”
🧩 The “Catch, Don’t Correct” Challenge
Your homework this week: Don’t fix your excuses. Catch them.
Notice them in real time. Write them down.Every “I can’t,” “I don’t have time,” “when things calm down,” “I’ll start Monday.”You don’t have to change them yet — just see them.
That’s the start of detox. You can’t heal what you won’t name.
When you catch one, say out loud:
“That’s not the truth. That’s an excuse.”
❤️ Final Thought
Excuses are emotional band-aids for fear. They comfort your untrained brain but cost your potential. Each one chips away at your confidence, creativity, and self-trust.
The only cure is awareness. Catch them. Name them. Watch how your life starts to shift when you stop lying to yourself. Your brain doesn’t get to talk trash about your potential anymore. You’ve got work to do — and your future self is waiting.
✳️ About the Author
I’m Sally Luehman, broker-owner of RE/MAX RealPros and founder of Headquarters Coaching. After nearly three decades in real estate and entrepreneurship, I help women and business owners retrain their minds for growth — so they can build businesses (and lives) that move them forward.
If you’re ready to train your brain and kick your excuses to the curb, visit CoachingWorks.net to schedule a free session. In just one call, we’ll uncover the thought that’s been keeping you stuck — and set you free to grow.
Empowering women, one thought at a time.
Sally Luehman
Founder & Mindset Coach, Headquarters Coaching LLC
Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs
📞 608-547-8098
Comments