There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who make things happen, and those who make excuses. And you can’t be both. Which means that—no matter how focused you are on making your goals a reality, no matter how much time and money you invest, no matter how many books you read and seminars you attend—you’re never going to be successful unless you stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for the situation you’re in.

I don’t mean to be harsh. I know some obstacles seem insurmountable, and over the years I’ve heard just about every excuse imaginable. Some of the excuses I hear over and over are:

“I don’t have the right education.”

“I don’t have enough money to get started.”

“I don’t have enough time.”

“I don’t have the skills and talents.”

“I’m not rich enough, famous enough, or good looking enough.”

Okay, you get my point. But lots of people have faced much tougher obstacles and have still gone on to succeed. It’s not your education or lack of money. It’s not that you don’t have time, skills, or talent. It’s not the economy’s fault. It’s not your boss’s fault. It’s not your grandmother’s fault. Do you see where I’m going here? No matter who you are—and regardless of your situation—there’s only one thing blocking your success.

You.

I know, that’s a tough thing to accept. It’s much easier to blame your lack of success on someone else. But guess what? You can’t.

If you really want to Work Less, Make More, you need to take responsibility for the way things are in your life. Why? Because when it comes down right down to it, you are the only one who has the power to change these things.

Many people don’t even attempt their goals because of one excuse or another. They say things like:

“It’s more important for me to spend time with my family right now.”

“I’m working long hours as it is and just don’t have the time.”

“I’m not in a position to take a risk right now.”

These sound like pretty good excuses, right? But here’s the deal. You’ve got to start somewhere. If you sit around waiting for the perfect time to get going, chances are you’ll never work less and make more. Because there is no perfect time. Or, let me reframe that. The perfect time is right now.

At the end of the day, would you rather have more success, or would you rather have a whole pile of excuses? The choice is yours. If you are not exactly where you want to be, stop making excuses. Take some responsibility, and good things will happen.