by Debbie Ruston
Regardless of whether we are talking about business, relationships or dieting, many people are accustomed to buying into their own excuses. Why is it that someone can state they want to achieve something, yet, when it comes to taking action, they don’t follow through?
-They were not committed in the first place – There is a difference between wanting something and actually committing to it. You can want to lose weight, but unless you are willing to implement proper eating and exercise, you will not reach the goal. This must be something an individual is willing to do for as long as it takes. That is commitment.
-They don’t have confidence in their ability to achieve the goal – Confidence comes from doing. I remember the first time I was invited to speak at a business function. I was not confident, I was actually quite the opposite and was a nervous wreck for months prior to the speaking engagement. Something I learned a lot time ago though, was to keep stepping out of my comfort zone. So even though I didn’t feel confident as I spoke the first time, and probably a dozen times after that, I kept accepting the invitation to grow. I kept stepping out of that comfort zone until I did feel confident.
–Afraid of making a mistake – Understand you will make some mistakes along the way. That is ok, learn to embrace those mistakes and realize they are opportunities to learn, not mistakes. When you learn by doing something the wrong way, you are also privileged to learn the right way, or in many cases, a new way that no one else has thought of. This gives a new distinction in thinking you may not have realized had you simply done it the way everyone else does. Also learn to lighten up an don’t take yourself so seriously. No one is perfect…mistakes are made. Take responsibility and move forward.
-Attempting to be perfect – The challenge with being perfect, is the procrastination that takes place in pursuit of perfectionism. Perfectionism cannot be maintained long term. Strive for excellence instead and get out of procrastination and into action.
-They want results yesterday and are not willing to stay the course – Anything worthwhile takes time. The world is full of people that just want the short cuts. Although some will have short term success with this approach, long term success is built by doing the right things with a high level of ethics and integrity and staying the course, continually taking persistent action steps towards the goal.
-They have fears that are stopping them – Many people stop in their tracks when fear arises and don’t take the actions required, because they are too afraid. Fear is something that every single person feels. The difference between those that achieve their goals and those that don’t, is successful people have learned to push through fear, understanding that fear disappears when you have the courage to face it.
-They have limiting beliefs about what they are capable of – This is where desire comes in. There are always going to be situations where you will think that you can’t do something, that it is beyond your capability. There is nothing a person cannot do provided they are willing to learn.
-They don’t allow for adversity – With success, you will also experience adversity. It is simply part of the process that all successful people experience. This is often where people give up, because they have bought the excuse that something went wrong, or it was too hard, and don’t realize they have to push through this.
Ask yourself who you are being? The person that buys into one or more of these excuses, or, the person that is committed and willing to push through to achieve the result you want. Identifying your excuse is the first step to conquering it.
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Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset.
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