This thought first took shape in a quiet, ten-minute window—sitting in the car, waiting for an athlete to arrive for a training session. With no agenda and no notebook, I just sat in the space of that moment. A familiar quote, one I’d seen many times before, flashed through my mind:
“Excuses don’t burn calories.”
It stayed with me—not as a criticism, but as a fascinating observation of the human condition. Excuses often surface at the exact moment where intention meets reality. They appear when well-laid plans collide with the friction of deadlines, travel, illness, or fatigue. While some excuses are creative and others are completely genuine, they are all deeply human.
But beneath the excuse lies a decision point more critical than any preparation: Do we pause, or do we move forward differently?
Consider the journey of becoming more active. It usually begins with clarity and high motivation, but eventually, life intervenes. Travel disrupts the routine, work intensifies, or the body simply begins to resist. When a minor injury appears or progress feels fragile, we face a mental crossroads.
When the plan breaks, options remain.
Travel rarely removes all possibilities; it simply removes certainty. The gym may be inaccessible and the schedule may be chaotic, but the real shift is mental. Instead of thinking, “I can’t do what I planned,” we must ask: “What is the most useful step I can take today?” Whether it’s a short walk, a mobility session, or simply moving with intention, these choices maintain our direction.
When time feels scarce, look for the gaps.
“No time” usually means no uninterrupted time. Yet, sustainable progress is rarely built under ideal conditions. It is forged through small, intentional actions taken consistently—a walk after a meal, a moment of stillness, or light movement at the end of a long day. These steps may not look impressive on a spreadsheet, but they are the bedrock of consistency.
When the body pushes back, redirect your focus.
Injury is often viewed as a hard stop, but it can be a forced invitation to work on what we usually ignore: breath, balance, recovery, and mental resilience. Many professionals look back and realize these periods didn’t weaken them—they rounded them out.
Take the story of Mathew Hayman. He achieved the biggest win of his career at Paris–Roubaix just weeks after breaking his arm—an injury many assumed would end his season. His setback didn’t pause his progress; it redirected it. Checkout the story here.
I experienced something similar in 2018. While recovering from collarbone surgery and riding exclusively indoors with my arm in a sling, I returned to full health with a 10% increase in my Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
Handled well, a setback can quietly become the phase that moves you further ahead than uninterrupted training ever could.
Choosing the “Way-Forward” Mindset
What separates those who stay consistent from those who are constantly restarting isn’t just discipline. It is the willingness to redefine what progress looks like and the ability to work on what matters, even when it wasn’t part of the original plan.
As you set new goals, remember that the practice isn’t about eliminating excuses—it’s about cultivating a mindset that asks: “What is the best step available to me right now?”
Excuses don’t burn calories. But choosing to move forward—however imperfectly—is what builds unstoppable momentum.