What’s the one distinguishing trait of most people who don’t succeed?
They make excuses.
They always have a convenient alibi up their sleeve for why they couldn’t do what they set out to do, or why they shouldn’t do what others think they can.
It’s time to get really honest with yourself, here.
Excuses are warm and cosy.
They soothe us when we’ve been through the ringer.
They are short term pleasure at the price of long term gain.
Do you make excuses for yourself? Things like:
If I wasn’t so financially comfortable I’d have more drive…If I was fitter, I’d be able to…If only I’d had one of those near death experiences, I’d have more motivation to..If I was younger…If I was older…If I was more intelligent…If only I wasn’t surrounded by idiots…If I had the talent…If I lived in a city…If I lived more remotely…If I could just lose some weight…If I weren’t so scrawny…If my parents hadn’t mollycoddled me…
Personal development isn’t a new thing, and ancient philosophers had much to say on how we can all lead better lives.
Plato had words for us about this: “The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile”
Wow. Harsh words, Big P.
I don’t want you to be ashamed of yourself and think you’re vile just because you’re hiding behind some lame excuses, but I do want you to question how you might be bullshitting yourself.
There are very few excuses that truly hold water.
Sure, if you had a goal to climb Everest, and you had a car accident that paralysed you permanently, then that’s a valid excuse.
You could argue that you could still get to the top of a mountain, but it’s physically impossible for you to complete your original goal unaided.
But what about your dream to set up a new business idea, but you keep pushing it around in your head because you think you don’t have enough money to do it.
What could you do as an alternative to pouting and wishing you had richer parents?
Research funding?
Approach someone for a joint venture?
Find a way to start really small?
When it comes to achieving goals, if there’s a strong enough will, and no tolerance of excuses, then there’s almost always a way to achieve them one way or another.
Have you given yourself excuses about starting a great goal in the past?