The Top 9 Excuses Indiana Jones Never Made

One of my favorite all time heroes is Indiana Jones.

As a kid I used to ride my bike pretending I was Indy in his movies. Always on an adventure, escaping danger, on the hunt for treasure, and dodging any obstacle in my way.

I was recently watching “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the original movie, and the opening scene is ALWAYS exciting to watch.

To see Indy bravely walk through the cave as he evades deadly traps, and uses his smarts and wits to get his treasure only to then face MORE deadly obstacles like giant boulders and poisonous darts, you can’t help but hold your breath until the end.

As I was watching this for the 100th or so time (I lost count after 75), it made me think of excuses.

“What?”

Yes, excuses.

We all face the same cave that Indy does at various points in our life. Seeking a treasure that is inside. Knowing as we enter the cave that it won’t be easy to reach that treasure. It might even be dangerous. We don’t know for sure.

As we start to go deeper into the cave and it gets darker around us, an inner voice inside screams at us to turn back.

You even see this happen in the movie when Indy and his guides reach a point in the cave, and the guides run back and basically tell Indy “You’re on your own, pal.”

They gave into their excuses (spoiler: a few minutes later they are found dead…because they ran out of the cave).

In our own world, Indy is the part of us that’s the dreamer. The part of us that’s driven, that is desperate for that treasure. The guides are the part of us that make excuses to not go further, that want us to run away so we can stay safe and comfortable and avoid danger.

We all experience these moments when we desperately want to pursue something, but have to enter a dark cave to get there.

The moment when you get so excited about a possibility, a change, a goal, a transformation, an adventure.

Then, you take a few steps in and you’re unsure about where to go because it gets dark and unclear, so you stop or turn back. The excuses come flooding in.

A lot of those excuses are bullshit. They are self-perceived limitations. So until we are aware of the truth behind them, they’ll always get the best of us.

Here are some of the most common excuses I hear, and have often believed myself.

“I’m not ready” — No shit. No one is ready before they start something new. Do you think Presidents are ready for the job before they walk into the Oval Office? If you have the desire to go after what you want, you’re more than ready.

“I need a strategy” — A strategy is just a band-aid. It’s not permanent. A strategy is helpful at the right moments, but if it keeps you from starting, don’t wait for the strategy. Get started and strategize when you know it will help you move forward.

“I don’t have enough (skills, experience, money, etc).” — I love to go to a nice restaurant and have a meal I can’t make at home. When I go out to eat, I never ask about the chef’s background, where they went to culinary school, how good their knife skills are. If they make me a great meal, that’s all I care about. If you show up, and give it your best with what you have, that’s all you need.

“The time isn’t right” — It never will be. You’ll always have things to do, responsibilities, plans. Time isn’t your problem, your willingness to want it bad enough is.

“I don’t know what to do if I fail.” — Have you failed in the past? You’re still here? Great. The only failure is giving up, so if that’s not an option and things don’t go as planned, then you will figure out what to do next when the time comes.

“I’ll make a mistake.” — You can’t make a mistake. A mistake is only labeled a mistake after you make it. No one takes an action to intentionally make a mistake. Instead of fearing mistakes, welcome the opportunity to learn from the experience.

“I could lose a lot” — Fear of change and loss is what keeps most people comfortable, because they’d rather hold onto what they have than risk it for something better. If you go after what you want, what you’re going to lose is your old identity and who you were before going into the cave.

“People will think I’m (a fool, irrational, crazy, etc.)” — Honestly, most people won’t care because they’re worried about their own cave. In fact, they’ll be envious. People admire risk takers and wish they could take the chances you are taking.

“I’m not motivated” — This one is sneaky and will stop you before you start. When I sign up for a marathon, it can sometimes take me weeks to get started with training. I build it up to be more than it is, and make an excuse that there’s a lack of motivation. Motivation is created by action. Accept that motivation will come once you take the first step.

There are many more excuses that may come up, and we all have our own that stop us from moving forward and encourage us to turn back.

Think back (or rewatch) that opening scene of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” At every turn, Indiana Jones could have told himself any one of these excuses and turned back.

What would have happened if he gave into them? Obviously we wouldn’t have a kick ass movie to watch, but Indy also wouldn’t have found the artifact he was looking for. He wouldn’t have completed his mission.

Next time an excuse comes up, just ask yourself — “What would Indy do?” You don’t need to avoid excuses, but when you hear them just acknowledge that they’re trying to keep the status quo alive, and then put them aside.

I’m curious to know what excuses most often come up for you? In what ways are they holding you back in your adventure?