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You are here: Home / Hacks / The Complete List of Convincing, Unique, and Legitimate Excuses

The Complete List of Convincing, Unique, and Legitimate Excuses

January 17, 2012 By Joel Runyon 49 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[this space intentionally left blank]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

Now get over yourself and go do something.

[h/t to Lach]
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Filed Under: Hacks, The Impossible

Joel Runyon

About Joel Runyon

I started IMPOSSIBLE to push myself to try to live a life worth writing about by pushing my limits, living an adventure & telling a great story by doing the impossible. You can get free updates in your inbox via your new favorite newsletter and see all my businesses at Impossible X and our philanthropic efforts at Impossible.org

Comments

  1. AvatarPaul says

    January 17, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Ha ha I love it! Thanks Joel.

    Reply
  2. AvatarCat says

    January 17, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Scratched my head then the light bulb came on! Very nice.

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:32 am

      🙂

      Reply
  3. AvatarKari says

    January 17, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Awesome. Just awesome.

    Reply
  4. AvatarJen says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    I am going to make sure I have copies posted here at home for the 6 kids to see and, at work as inspiration.

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:32 am

      Your kids are going to hate me.

      Reply
  5. AvatarFaaz says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Best. Post. Ever.

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Ever! :p

      Reply
  6. AvatarRob says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    That’s great! I thought for a second that my browser was still loading some humungo graphic, well played Joel.

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Ha, thanks!

      Reply
  7. AvatarMorgan McLeod says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Good article, Joel. There are a few things I don’t agree with though:

    1)

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Haha. Well played Morgan. Well played!

      Reply
  8. AvatarMark Henson says

    January 17, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Joel, that’s awesome. I wrote a post earlier this week called “Lose your BUT.” Same idea, but even though your post didn’t say anything, you said it way better than I did! Ha ha!

    Also got passed this great video link the other day. It’s older, but man, is it powerful. It’s Art Williams’ “Just Do It” speech. Has nothing to do with Nike or shoes and everything to do with what you said (or didn’t say, I guess) above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2uFH0NCMY4

    Reply
  9. AvatarLach says

    January 17, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Flattered 😉

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:33 am

      Wonderful inspiration I had :p

      Reply
  10. AvatarWilliam says

    January 17, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    What few words it takes to make such a HUGE statement. Well played sir well played!!

    Reply
  11. Avatarchris gerard says

    January 17, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    I thought ‘maybe he’s trying to make an excuse to get out of posting…’

    But seriously, way to say a lot by saying a (very) little.

    Reply
  12. AvatarPatrick Hitches says

    January 17, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    What about …. Oh, yup you covered them all! ha niiiiice post my man!

    Reply
  13. AvatarChris says

    January 17, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    You forgot being a coma… thats a pretty valid excuse.
    Other than that great list

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:34 am

      We’ll have to test that theory…

      Reply
  14. AvatarDr. Pete says

    January 17, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Haha – love it. The worst excuses have a grain of truth, and that’s exactly what makes them so dangerous.

    Reply
  15. AvatarGary S says

    January 18, 2012 at 1:08 am

    Absolutely, brilliant!

    Reply
  16. AvatarChris Harris | Between the Temples says

    January 18, 2012 at 1:58 am

    Good call on the list- a stark reminder about excuses.

    Reply
  17. AvatarMarcus says

    January 18, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Epic!

    Reply
  18. AvatarLaszlo says

    January 18, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    This is a great post! :-)))))))))

    Reply
  19. AvatarJenine Beecher says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    brilliant!

    Reply
  20. AvatarDaryl Bredenkamp says

    January 21, 2012 at 5:27 am

    I agree, mostly. There is one legitimate excuse you left out – your own death. I understand the reluctance to put that in there though. LOL

    Reply
    • Joel RunyonJoel Runyon says

      February 3, 2012 at 3:38 am

      I think you get a pass when you die :).

      Reply
  21. AvatarHiten says

    January 21, 2012 at 11:31 am

    Very creative post Joel, and very true as well!

    Reply
  22. AvatarTodd Kuslikis says

    February 3, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    This is awesome Joel!! Love it!!

    Reply
  23. AvatarSantiago says

    April 28, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    Joel, I agree with what you wrote… nothing 😀

    We human beings will never run out of excuses. Our lizard brain loves to create them and even more to indulge in them. But the truth is that the immense majority of us can do something… ANYTHING, during the spare time we have to work towards achieving something “impossible”.

    You know, I feel grateful. I am healthy and have all my limbs. I can, well… move, and even type this. I have a laptop and access to the Internet, and I can use it to build something that matters to me; to do work that I know will make a difference.

    Sometimes I think that anybody can live a personal legend… but then I find cases like the following one. The video is in Spanish, but I read you are fluent in Spanish… así que si tienes algo de tiempo te pido que por favor le des una mirada:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JxKHH45v6o

    Can a person in such a situation: Unable to move, prostrated in a bed, in terrible pain, completely dependent on others and only able to communicate through blinks… be able to do something impossible?

    Reply
  24. AvatarCarlos Ramos says

    August 23, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Best. List. Ever.

    Reply
    • AvatarTmc says

      September 9, 2012 at 10:32 pm

      Great list!!

      Reply
  25. AvatarKym Williams says

    November 23, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    LOL I refreshed the page 3x thinking the page wouldn’t load. Good reminder. There are none. Looks like the ones I’ve been using are hogwash!

    Reply

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