Are Excuses Getting In the Way of Your Success?
Jacqueline Wales
Behavioral Consultant on Overcoming Fear: Unlocking Potential in SMB's | TEDx Speaker | Vistage Speaker | Homeward Bound Leadership Coach | Transformation Guaranteed Day One
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“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” – Benjamin Frankli
Every self-limiting thought you have ever had is an excuse for not taking life by the reins and living it to the fullest.?
When you use excuses as the foundation for not taking opportunities, not fully embracing the life you want to live, declining the chance to be a better version of you...you are rejecting life itself.
Excuses are the barrier to joy and fulfillment.
You either make excuses or you make progress. Your choice!
There are a multitude of excuses we give ourselves for not taking the actions we need to take, and many of them are rooted in our past conditioning.
I can think of a few myself that get in the way of my progress.
The most common excuses include:
It will be difficult:?
Who said life would be easy? Change is challenging and so we get comfortable with our dis-comfort. ?We presume we’re stuck with it. But are you? Or is simply an excuse for not taking action?
It’s too risky:?
All life is a risk, right??We get out of bed in the morning, and trip on the carpet twisting our ankle!?
We enter relationships and hope they will be what we want.?
We take jobs that don’t offer fulfillment or satisfaction.
We cross the street and don’t look both ways. (I got run over doing that one time!)
Life is a risk. Stepping up to the challenge means dealing with uncertainty.
It will take a long time:?
How much time do you have?
Why would you want to postpone what you need to meet the challenge, change your behavior, change your thinking, enter the game of living the life ?you want to live NOW!?
It's not guaranteed
There are no guarantees on ANYTHING, but if you set your mind to achieving what you want, take the right actions in the right order over the right amount of time you’re much more likely to get there and it may not take as much time as your thought.
I can’t afford it:
Whenever we discourage ourselves with the belief that our financial situation is preventing us from anything, that’s an excuse.
It’s rarely about the money.
It’s about limited thinking.?
Now I can hear those who love this excuse exclaim, “how can you say that. I don’t have that much money in the bank. I don’t have a high paying job.?I am unemployed.?I haven’t got anyone to support me.” Believe me, I've fallen into that trap many times.
But if you want something badly enough, you will find a way.
I'm not smart enough?
Everyone has had the experience of being in a room with very smart people and feeling like you have nothing to contribute.
We stay silent when we want to say something because you're afraid you will sound stupid.
You don't promote yourself because you think you feel you're not good enough.
Intelligence is just one attribute of being smart.
There is more than one way to show how smart you are that includes how you use your emotional intelligence. Your knowledge of the world. Your ability to empathize with others.
And here's a big one I've seen in my own life, and in working with clients.
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I'm not worthy/don't deserve it
Your self judgment stands alone in this way of thinking.
I was told for years by my father that I wouldn't amount to much.
I believed for a long time that I didn't deserve to be successful.
I didn't deserve to be rewarded for my work.
I was wrong, and it was just another excuse.
Excuses are the arias you sing whenever you are confronted with your fears.
Specifically, I'm not good enough to/for (fill in the blanks)
You can find a thousand things to keep you busy, keep you distracted, and keep you from implementing steps that would lead you to a more positive outlook on life.
The (dis)comfort zone is seductive.
When you can comfortable being uncomfortable and you're willing to take the next step toward what you want, then excuses are no longer valid.
If you are a master of procrastination, excuses keep you from truly living the life you want.
If you’ve been reading my articles, you understand by now that the power of your beliefs keep you stuck.
These deeply ingrained notions affect how you live your life, how you speak about yourself, how you interact with others, and what you’re willing to do or not do to make a difference to your circumstances, your life.
Can you make dramatic changes in your life??Absolutely.?
Are you willing to make these changes? That’s another thing entirely.
Are you full of excuses as to why not? Then change the story.
Excusitis is a dis-ease of the mind.
Excuses are simply avoidance and resistance in action.
Every self-limiting thought you have ever had is an excuse for not taking life by the reins and living it to the fullest.?
“We do not attract that which we want, but that which we are.”? - James Allen
?When you use excuses as the foundation for not taking opportunities, for not fully embracing the life you want to live, for missing out on the chance to be a better version of you, you are rejecting life itself.
Excuses are the barrier to joy and fulfillment.
You either make excuses or you make progress. Your choice!
?Ask yourself:
Excuses can be alluring, but ultimately hinder personal growth and hold us back from reaching our full potential.
When you cultivate self-awareness, set clear goals, and challenge your limiting beliefs, you can transcend your discomfort zones and discover how to rise above the excuses..
Choose courage over comfort, determination over doubt, and action over excuses, for within each of us lies the power to transform our lives and make our dreams a reality.
Transformational Strategies for Success offers a unique, holistic approach to unlock potential and drive exceptional success. With tailored strategies, expert guidance, and tangible results, we empower individuals and organizations to thrive. Through continuous support, thought leadership, and a client-centric approach, we create sustainable transformations for sustainable success.
If you're ready to bring out the best in you?please visit my website?or DM me for more information on how we can work together.
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2X #1 Bestselling Author | Leadership Keynote Speaker | Award Winning Sales Leader | Serial Entrepreneur | Co-Founder, Former CEO Trustegrity | All American High School Athlete | CEO SBL Mastermind | Kellogg MBA
1 年Love the tone of this post Jacqueline Wales! In my personal experience, mostly towards trying to transcend previous bests, limitations are self-imposed. Thank goodness I've had many experiences during my life where I actually overcame previous bests and learned that challenges in my achievement were just limitations, usually self-imposed, and a personal mindset more than a physical limitation. Thanks for keeping our sights up and inspiring us to do more to overcome our personal fears.
Great post, Jacqueline Wales!
Financial education for self-directed investors to achieve maximum growth and stability with today's opportunities.
1 年Great topic Jacqueline. Don't accept excuses from anyone! I learned a long time ago, when you've let someone else down, reasons are excuses. Just say sorry and do better next time. When we let ourselves down we need to do the same. Don't wallow in the excuses, just choose to do it now.
I am a connector, strategist, and trusted resource helping businesses maximize networking, streamline operations, —make informed decisions with merchant services, payroll solutions, and valuable introductions.
1 年Kim Hayes, many of these points ring true from the conference we attended this week, sharing with you so yo can spread with others and invite them to follow Jacqueline Wales.
Picture this: a life that defies expectations, takes the scenic route, and revels in the chaos of the unknown. Need support to maximise your potential? Perhaps I'm the coach you're looking for.
1 年Sometimes our excuses mask the fact that we don’t really want to follow that path, but we’re not quite ready to admit it to ourselves yet. If we can use our excuses as a mirror to prompt the question, “How much do I really want this?”, even if the answer is “not that much,” it’s still a valuable learning that frees up our time and energy for what we really want.