There is often an initial warning sign that a project is in trouble. Sometimes it even begins before the project does. Our subconscious starts looking around for an excuse, deniability and something to blame. It gives us confidence and peace of mind - it's far easier to be calm when the police appear at your door if you have an excuse handy. Sometimes we even start looking for the excuse before we accept the project. We say to ourselves (and our clients), "this is best efforts ..." Then, as the project moves along (or not), we continually add to and refine our excuse, reminding ourselves of all the factors that were out of our control. Some people who have a built-in all-purpose excuse (middle child syndrome, wrong astrology sign, some slight at the hands of their upbringing or the system from long ago) and they often end up failing. They have an excuse ready to go, so it's easier to back off when the going is tough. Here's an alternative to the excuse-driven life: what happens if you actively avoid looking for excuses at all? Instead of making excuses, the successful project is filled with people who are obsessed with avoiding excuses.