From Procrastination to Action: How the Minions Use the Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin
- Bruce Schutter
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
It happened on a Thursday. One of those days when the diet soda didn’t motivate, the to-do list looked like an encyclopedia and I found myself scrolling endlessly while pretending it counted as productivity.
And then I heard it — the unmistakable sound of chaos barreling toward me.
"BRUUUUUUUCE!!"
A blur of yellow crashed through my front yard. It was the Minions — wild-eyed, banana-fueled and bouncing with excitement. Kevin was waving a shiny coin in the air, while Bob trailed behind, sipping a juice box and carrying a folder that read: “Warrior Innovation Division.”
They burst into my living room like a mission was underway.
“We made a NEW way to use the Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin!” Kevin shouted.
“To turn Procrastination into Action!”
The Warrior Story
If you’re wondering why the Minions keep showing up at my house with mental health tools, here’s the backstory:
For 20 years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD. At my lowest point, I felt completely powerless — so powerless that I tried to end my life. But in that darkness, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
Armed with that truth, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge, so you can take command of your emotions, triumph over your challenges and build the life you really want.
One of the program’s core tools is the Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin — a small but mighty reminder of your inner strength. You can carry it in your pocket, hold it during tough moments, or set it on your desk as a symbol of focus, courage and progress.
Apparently, the Minions have been paying attention. And in true Minion fashion, they decided to upgrade the mission — by inventing their own wild, chaotic and surprisingly effective way to use the coin with the Results or Excuses tool.
The “Results or Excuses” Tool
Despite their chaotic energy — launching themselves from cannons, chasing villains and occasionally blowing up kitchens — the Minions admitted something surprising.
When they’re faced with big, overwhelming problems… they procrastinate.
Sound familiar? I knew that trap all too well.
But then they realized the Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin could help snap them out of that cycle. Kevin announced, “When we face something hard, we hold the coin and choose: RESULTS or EXCUSES.
But you can only pick one!”
It’s like flipping a coin to make a decision — except instead of leaving it to fate, the coin reminds you that the power is in your hands.
Then the Minions shared three examples of how to use the Results or Excuses tool.
Example 1: From Anxiety Spiral to Action
Stuart shared, “When my brain goes boom-boom with too many worries, I sit in the closet with a juice box. But then I grab my coin, feel its weight and whisper, ‘Results or Excuses?’”
“Then I write down one worry and take one action.
That stops anxiety from spiraling and taking over my day!”
Our Turn:
I’ve used this same method myself more times than I can count.
When anxiety starts building and my brain begins running worst-case scenarios like it’s auditioning for a disaster movie, I grab my Mental Health Warrior Coin. I feel its solid weight in my hand and take one slow, steady breath.
Then I ask myself out loud: “Results or Excuses?”
That question snaps me out of the spiral. It reminds me that I still have power — that I get to choose how this moment goes.
Sometimes the result is simple: sending one email I’ve been avoiding, writing one sentence in a project, or taking a quick walk to reset. But every small action breaks anxiety’s grip and replaces chaos with control.
Example 2: Escape the Why Bother Trap
“Some days… I no wanna move,” Bob groaned, collapsing dramatically onto my couch. “Feel like… wet sock.”
He flopped over with the intensity of someone who’d just run a marathon — or dropped his last banana. Then, slowly, he held up the coin.
“But then I hold coin. Results or Excuses?
Then I stand. Sock on. Toast made. Boom. Not stuck anymore — just Results!”
Kevin clapped. Stuart cheered. And just like that, Bob’s breakfast became a full-blown Warrior celebration.
Our Turn:
I’ve had my share of Why Bother days — those mornings when the world feels heavy before my feet even hit the ground.
That’s when I grab my Mental Health Warrior Coin. I hold it tight and ask the same question the Minions do: “Results or Excuses?”
The coin pulls me back to the present moment and helps me choose one small task — like getting out of bed or feeding the cat — instead of hiding under the covers.
Each tiny win, no matter how small, lifts my mood and gets me moving into the day.
Example 3: Stop the Overwhelm Avalanche
Kevin threw his arms up. “So many missions! Too many beeps! I yell into pillow!”
Bob nodded sympathetically, sipping his juice box. “We all heard you, buddy.”
Kevin continued, “But then I grab my coin and choose one small action I can take. Like… address one beep notice on my phone. Then I feel lighter — because results are louder than excuses. That stops the overwhelm and puts me back in charge.”
The other Minions applauded like he’d just saved the world. Maybe, in a way, he had.
Our Turn:
I know that avalanche feeling too well — the one where every demand crashes down at once until your brain just… freezes.
When that happens, I grab my Mental Health Warrior Coin, take a slow breath and feel its solid weight in my palm. Then I ask myself the same question Kevin does: “Results or Excuses?”
From there, I pick one simple, doable action. Maybe I answer a single email, organize my desk or walk outside for five minutes.
And something amazing happens — momentum returns. Because that one small step shifts my focus from everything I can’t control to the one thing I can!
Wrap up
Before they left, I reached into my bag and handed each Minion a Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin — with one simple mission: pass it on to a friend who needs it.
“Share the tool. Share the choice,” I said. “Because every Warrior deserves a reminder that they’re in charge.”
So the next time you’re staring down a challenge — that task you keep putting off, that goal that feels too big, or that moment whispering not now — reach for your Warrior Coin.
Hold it. Feel its weight. And ask yourself: Results or Excuses?
That’s your turning point — the exact moment you shift from hesitation to action.
Because as a Mental Health Warrior, you’re not waiting for courage — you’re creating it, one choice at a time!
Bruce Schutter ⚔️
Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!
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