You Can Have Success or Excuses — You Can’t Have Both (And Here’s Why I Know That Firsthand)

You know, people often look at me now and think I’ve always had my life together — business owner, author, leadership trainer, speaking on stages, and running a successful company.

But let me tell you something — and I say this with a laugh because it’s true — I’ve probably made more mistakes and excuses than most.

Why I Know What Excuses Sound Like

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a natural scholar. School was never my thing. I was one of those kids who couldn’t sit still. If I wasn’t bored, I was in trouble. If I wasn’t in trouble, I was daydreaming. And to top it off, dyslexia made everything harder.

So when I say, “I know what excuses sound like,” trust me — I know because I used to live by them.

I left school at 16, with no qualifications, no direction, and no letters after my name. All I wanted was a wage and a bit of spending money. So that summer, I went to work with my dad’s carpet-fitting business. And if I’m honest? I hated every second of it. But at the time, I thought school was worse.

Now, my dad — he wasn’t having any of my excuses. He was old-school Glasgow through and through. You can take the boy out of Glasgow, but you can’t take Glasgow out of the boy. And that working-class mentality? “Work hard, get on with it, stop complaining.” That’s how I was raised.

So when I told him I wasn’t going back to school and I wasn’t enjoying work either, he made me a deal I’ve never forgotten.

He said, “James, if you do one more year of school — just one — I’ll pay you the same as your pals are earning. But only if you show up, learn, and give it a proper go.”

Now, getting paid to go to school? That sounded like a win.

So I did it. And not only did I do it, but I crammed every qualification I could into that one year. I passed as many exams as people who took two years. And for the first time, I realised something about myself — when I stop making excuses and fully commit, I can do a lot more than I think.

The Day I Knew I Had to Stop Making Excuses

Still, I left school at 17 with a couple of qualifications and absolutely no clue what I wanted to do. I’d already told my dad I wasn’t going to be a carpet fitter. But I wasn’t doing anything to move forward either.

Then came the day I’ll never forget. It was a Thursday afternoon. I was lying on my bed, pretending to think about my future, but really just doing nothing.

My dad came home from work, walked straight upstairs, flung my bedroom door open and said:

“James, have you not got a bloody job yet?”

I can still hear him. And honestly — in that moment, I had a hundred excuses ready to go:

“I don’t know what to do.”
“There’s nothing out there.”
“No one will hire me.”

But none of them mattered. He wasn’t asking for excuses — he was telling me to get up and do something about it.

And that moment — even though I didn’t know it then — was a turning point.

The Excuse Trap in Leadership

Now, fast forward a couple of decades, and I work with leaders, managers, and business owners every day. And do you know what I see?

The same excuses.

“I’m too busy to focus on leadership.”
“I can’t develop my team — we’ve got too much on.”
“I’m not ready for that bigger role.”
“What if I mess it up?”

Sound familiar?

Here’s what I’ve learned — you can have success or excuses, but you cannot have both.

Excuses are comfortable. They let us off the hook. They give us a way to avoid doing the hard stuff — the stuff that might make us feel out of our depth.

But excuses keep us stuck.

You’re Capable of More — If You Get Out of Your Own Way

Listen, I’m not standing here pretending I’ve got it all sorted. I’ve made plenty of mistakes.

I even got fired from my electrical apprenticeship for fighting at college (aye, I was a bit of a hothead back then). My dad made me write a letter to get my job back — imagine that — sitting down to apologise to the boss you’ve just let down. Humbling stuff.

There have been plenty of moments where I thought I’d messed up my future for good.

So when I say I know what it’s like to want to lean on an excuse, I speak from experience.

But here’s what else I know — you are capable of so much more when you stop making excuses and start showing up for yourself.

Every leader I’ve worked with who’s grown, every manager who’s turned a struggling team around, every business owner who’s gone from firefighting to leading — they all had to let go of their excuses first.

How I Stopped Making Excuses (and How You Can Too)

I know what it feels like to be stuck in your own head — full of excuses, doubts, and that constant voice telling you “you’re not good enough” or “you’ll never figure this out.”

But what changed everything for me — and what still shapes how I lead and live today — is Motivational Intelligence (MQ). Learning about MQ helped me understand why we think the way we do, why we hold ourselves back, and most importantly, how to take control of that negative self-talk and stop the excuses.

It taught me that mindset is everything — and when you shift your thinking, you shift what’s possible.

That’s why I built The Power Within Training — because once I got out of my own way, I wanted to help other leaders do the same.

Since then, we’ve helped thousands of leaders, managers, teams, and individuals to stop making excuses, take ownership, and lead themselves and others with confidence.

We’ve been there, got the T-shirt, and now we give leaders the tools we wish we had when we were starting out.

So, if you’re tired of getting in your own way — tired of the excuses, tired of the self-doubt — and you’re ready to take action, this is where it starts.

🎧 Want more real talk like this? Check out my brand new podcast Success or Excuses — where I sit down each week with incredible guests to talk about what it really takes to succeed (and what holds most people back). No fluff, no filters — just honest conversations that’ll challenge how you think, lead, and grow.

Hosted by me, James Fleming. Listen, subscribe, and join us on the journey — because you can have success or excuses… you can’t have both.

Or if you just want a straight, no-nonsense chat about where you are and where you want to be — drop me a message.

Because if I can turn it around, so can you.

The only question left is: Are you ready to stop making excuses and start leading?

James Fleming
The Power Within Training,
The Motivational Intelligence Company
james@tpwtd.com

Success or Excuses: You Can’t Have Both