“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
Ben Franklin
A few years ago, two friends and I were talking over dinner about how we needed to get in shape. Each of us had been sporadic with our fitness; I was probably the “best worst example” having run a marathon a few years prior followed by nothing for ages and ages.
What held us back? Well, you name it: I’m too tired, it’s too cold, I don’t have enough time, the stars aren’t aligning properly, my fortune cookie said “Relax”…
As we listened to ourselves, we made a decision: We were getting in shape. No Excuses! Over the next several months, we enlisted a number of measures for success: We created action plans, made commitments to one another, held each other accountable. We cheered each other on and had fun in the process.
But looking back, I realize that one of our most significant success factors was made over the dinner table that first night: We adopted a No-Excuses mindset.
Excuses keep us standing in the “good” when we could be leaping into the “excellent.” They cause us guilt, frustration, and self-recrimination. They keep us from boldly moving forward and truly living and working to our fullest potential.
As we approach 4th quarter, what goal do you really want to accomplish before we wrap up 2014? And what excuses hold you back? Some common ones:
- It’s too late in the year.
- I’m not ready.
- I’m too busy.
- It’s too hard.
- I don’t have it all perfectly figured out yet.
I caught myself in excuse-mode again just this week. I currently have a ridiculously Bold Goal for which I am striving, and while I’ve made great progress, doubt started creeping in: “I set too big a goal. I don’t have the time. I have too much going on already. I don’t really have to reach this goal, right?”
But what’s at the heart of our excuses?
Fear.
Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of messing up, fear of the unknown.
Think for a moment, though: What if you took your most important, heartfelt goal and just said, “No excuses!”? What would it feel like to decide what’s truly important, then to make that I’ll-do-whatever-it-takes commitment to yourself?
What if, even for a brief time, you boldly moved forward with clarity and courage, and proved to yourself you can do it?
I re-instigated my No-Excuses mindset with my current goal, and I feel truer to myself and stronger as a result. The goal is important to me and difference-making to others, and I know it’s possible even if I don’t exactly know how yet.
That’s my challenge for you as we prepare to enter the final quarter of the year. Decide the goal or achievement that would mean the most to you to celebrate at year’s end, then commit to a No-Excuses mindset. Clear away the chatter, focus your energy, and just do it.
No Excuses!
For added tools and support to make it happen, join us at Spark on October 3! Share your No-Excuses ideas below, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter!
Dr. Christi Hegstad helps you successfully do what you love! As a Certified Executive and Leadership Coach and the President of MAP Professional Development Inc., she coaches executives and leaders to get unstuck – whether in your leadership ability, income level, or from spinning your wheels in the day-to-day – and flourish in meaningful work.
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