How often do the words 'I simply haven't had time' come out of your mouth? Without realising it, we all make excuses. Geoff Holt says it's time to stop, and get on with life.

I'm not a psychologist nor am I going to pretend to be an expert in human behaviour but I do believe that we all know the difference between a valid reason and an excuse when not to do something. We might not admit to it, but deep down, we know when we are making excuses. Don't worry, that doesn't make us bad people, apparently it's perfectly normal. But when a key decision has to be taken or a major project needs to be actioned, there is a big difference between finding valid reasons not to do something and finding excuses.

Almost without exception, we give excuses for not having done something either because we couldn't be bothered or because we chose to do something on our 'to do' list that was easier. Assuming we still believe in the outcome we want to achieve, what can we do to avoid making excuses? How can we change our mindset?

You might be surprised to learn that there are easy practical ways in which you can reduce the likelihood and frequency of your excuses and thereby increase the likelihood of completing tasks.

As an exercise, first choose something simple that you want to achieve. It might be to phone a friend, it could be to take the dog for a walk or maybe tidy your desk. Whatever it is, keep it simple but make it slightly challenging. If you are being honest with yourself, you'll know the kind of task I'm referring to.

Secondly, identify roughly how long it will take and then identify the best time to implement it. If you can't find time, then you're already finding excuses!

Thirdly, to remind yourself, write down the time you are going to apply yourself to the task; either on a post-it note, in your diary or set a reminder on your PC.

Finally, if you think you'll be interrupted by a phone call, turn your phone off, if you think you'll get an urgent email, turn your PC off, if you think the kids will interrupt you, tell them you're going to be busy – minimise the likelihood of reasons to use as excuses.

Sticking to these four simple rules, no matter how small the task, you will experience the gratification that comes with completion.

If you fail, don't beat yourself up. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself what went wrong and what were your excuses. Reset yourself the task and try again at a convenient time.

The same process applies to bigger tasks as it does to smaller ones but the underlying secret to accomplishment without excuses is planning.

As a life-long yachtsman, I love the analogy of a ship's passage as the perfect project plan. You know where you are, you decide where you are going and then you plan how to get there. The beauty of this analogy is the route you choose is almost certain to change, and you will need to modify your plan accordingly when that happens, but the objective, to reach your destination, remains unchanged.

With a well researched plan and with clear objectives, you will find that the need for excuses lessens. No matter how small the objective, to achieve it is so rewarding and, as human beings, we take personal satisfaction from that feeling of achievement. When you have experienced that wonderful feeling, then the next time an objective seems too tough, we need to use that feeling of achievement as the fuel to spur us on when those little voices in our head start to find excuses. Believe me, it will seem tortuous at times, but it is a battle of wills within ourselves that we are perfectly capable of winning and when we do, there's no better feeling.

It's really not rocket science, it's about being honest with yourself and to those people to whom you make a commitment to complete the task in the first place. Now, give it a try and see the results – no excuses!

To read our profile of Geoff Holt go to www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/179314

Geoff Holt is an inspirational speaker and author. He established the Personal Everest concept to oversee his own record-breaking sailing project. Since then, www.personaleverest.com has been collecting stories from people who have either already achieved or are planning their own Personal Everest. To add your story, go to www.personaleverest.com – no excuses!