Card #84 – ”Get Rid of Excuses” from the Creative Whack Pack
Available on the iOS App Store and as a physical deck of cards

What was the last good idea you had that you didn’t execute? What reasons did you have?
“I didn’t have time.”
“I couldn’t sell it.”
“I was afraid to fail.”
“I wasn’t committed.”
“I didn’t get support.”
These are all valid reasons. But valid or not, they’re the excuses that prevent you from getting your ideas into action.
Sometimes it takes more creativity to get rid of excuses than it does to come up with the idea in the first place.
For example, when the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes landed at Veracruz, the first thing he did after unloading his equipment was to sink his ships.
Then he gave his men a pep talk. “Men,” he told them, “you can either fight or you can die.” Sinking his ships removed a third alternative: giving up and returning home.
— What three factors will make it difficult to reach your objective?
— How can you get rid of these excuses?
— On what project can you “sink” your ships?
— On what current issue are you using the excuse “I don’t have time”? How can you make time?