How can this happen?

Decision making means to select a course of action from two or more alternatives.  It is done to achieve a specific objective or to solve a specific problem. Decision making leads to results which is quite a different path from the path of excuses. This article will focus on the choice you need to make and on whether you want to take the path of RESULTS or the path of EXCUSES, both being by-products of decision-making.

You Can Have Results or Excuses … Not Both

You can have results or excuses … not both. This saying applies to all aspects of your life. Whatever you want in life is yours for the taking — the only thing stopping you is you.

For example, if you’re unhappy in a relationship, fix it. If it’s not fixable, move on.

If you hate your job, change things at work. If they are unchangeable, get a new job.

If you’re a few pounds overweight or feeling out of shape. Start exercising. Even a little bit makes a huge difference. Your mental attitude will improve and your waistline will reduce.

“When you stop making excuses you can start creating results.”

We all have made excuses, but excuses are setbacks, progression stoppers, and improvement limiters, whatever you want to call them. When you make an excuse you put a hold on your growth and you’re pretty much concentrating on “I CAN’T” rather than “I’M NOT ABLE TO YET” or “I CAN.”

Results are better than excuses. Does a wife want to hear the reason from her husband for why there are no plans for their anniversary, or would she rather just have a nice anniversary?

I know a lot of people that make decisions to achieve something. However, I see that most of them waiver after a short time and then burn out. The best way I have seen to achieve a long term goal is to develop a fun and creative system for completing the work that uses motivation techniques to reinforce the system into their habits.

What Are Excuses?

Excuses are rationalizations we make to ourselves about people, events and circumstances. They are invented reasons we create to defend our behaviour, to neglect taking a particular course of action, or simply as a means of negating responsibility. Excuses are in essence a means of placing blame OF an internal problem ON an external condition.

Reasons We Make Excuses

There are many reasons why people make excuses. In fact everyone has different reasons for making them. However, when it boils down to it, we only make excuses for the following main reasons:

• Fear of Failure
• Fear of Embarrassment
• Fear of Success
• Fear of Change
• Fear of Uncertainty
• Fear of Responsibility
• Fear of Making Mistakes
• Perceived lack of confidence or resources

Consequences of Making Excuses

Living a life of excuses can have very serious and lasting consequences. Not only will excuses prevent you from reaching your full potential, but they will also hold you back from recognizing opportunities, talents and skills you might have, to help you overcome your problems.

If you don’t challenge yourself to reach new heights, you will never really know what you’re capable of. New opportunities lie hidden around every corner, however you will never find them if you riddle your mind with constantly finding reasons to make excuses.

Types of Excuses

Excuses come in many shapes and forms and we tend to make them in many different ways.

Even though excuses vary from person-to-person there are certain excuses that we all tend to make at one point or another, and in this article I will break down these excuses and discuss what they mean and how you can deal with them when they crop up in your lives.

Pay attention to your excuses as they can teach you more about yourself than you ever thought was possible. Not only will they help you identify your weaknesses, but they will also help you identify the areas of your life that you should be giving more attention.

Excuse #1: There’s not enough time…

Means that you’re lacking passion, focus, discipline and direction. Likewise, it suggests that your priorities are out of sorts and that you may be lacking the ability to manage your time effectively.

Excuse #2: There’s not enough money…

Means that you don’t consider money to be a priority or you are simply looking for an easy way to make money and therefore don’t have the desire, determination, persistence or patience to work hard to achieve financial security.

Excuse #3: I don’t have an education…

Means that you lack creativity, inspiration and desire. In addition, it would seem that you also lack a willingness to work hard and go the extra mile to put in a little more effort into achieving your objectives — despite your lack of knowledge.

Excuse #4: I’m too old or young…

Means you lack understanding, confidence or perspective.

Men and women of all ages have achieved great things. Therefore you are never too old or too young to attain your goals and objectives. It might be a little more difficult, which means that you may need to be more persistent, creative and open yourself up to a greater array of experiences and opportunities. Alternatively, your age could actually work to your advantage.

Excuse #5: I don’t know how…

Means you lack belief and confidence in your own abilities. It also means that you haven’t taken the time to practice, learn, or to gain the experience or education necessary to “know what to do”.

Excuse #6: I can’t change…

Means you lack motivation and reason to change. Moreover, this suggests that you lack emotional pain that would help you to accelerate change.

Excuse #7: I’m afraid to fail…

Means you lack understanding, confidence, knowledge and experience.

Persist, persevere and resist the temptation to give-in to your excuses, gain the necessary knowledge, understanding and experience, and slowly but surely your self-confidence will propel you past your fears and towards your goals and objectives.

Excuse #8: It’s not the right time…

Means you lack perspective, information and resources.

Sometimes it’s simply not the right time to take action. However, more often than not this is just an excuse that should indicate you lack perspective or you simply don’t have the necessary resources to deal with the circumstances at hand. Therefore your first objective is to acquire the necessary resources you need that will help you to attain your desired outcome.

Excuse #9: I have to plan thoroughly first…

Means you’re lacking perspective or you’re simply paralyzed by fear.

Excuse #10: It won’t work…

Means you lack self-belief, motivation, creativity, patience, perspective and persistence. All of these qualities are essential if you desire to eventually make things work. In fact, these qualities are absolutely essential for everything of value that you want to create in your life.

Excuse #11: I’m not inspired…

Means you’ve got poor habits which lead to a lack of discipline.

Eliminating Your Excuses Forever!

Avoid Making Comparisons

Making comparisons between yourself and others will often make you feel disheartened if you are unable to live up to people’s standards and achievements. Instead, only compare yourself to your “best self”. No other comparisons are necessary. If through your highest efforts you surpass your personal best, then that’s good enough, at least until your next attempt.

Avoid Dwelling on the Past

The moment we begin dwelling on past mistakes or failures is the moment we begin experiencing the emotion of regret. Immediately we look to point the finger at someone or something else in order to justify our failures, instead of taking responsibility for our decisions and actions. As a result, we begin rationalizing and making excuses for our failed attempts.

Begin By Asking Questions

The moment you catch yourself making excuses, immediately ask yourself the following set of questions:

• How badly do I really want this?
• Why don’t I have what I want?
• What excuses are getting in the way?

Focus on Solutions and Opportunities

When making excuses we often focus on problems, regrets and on things that just didn’t work. Therefore to eradicate excuses from our lives we must instead begin focusing on solutions, opportunities and on the things that did work. It’s a simple shift, but if we keep this principle at the forefront of our mind when making excuses, it will immediately transform our perspective of the situation at hand.

Seek Alternate Perspectives

Often the excuses we make are a result of a lack of perspective. We simply don’t have or know about the bigger picture. It’s like looking through a keyhole. You will never see the entire room, but only a small section of that room.

Accept Full Responsibility for Failures and Mistakes

Excuses are often made because we simply don’t want to take responsibility for our shortcomings.

Learn from Past Experience

Instead of making excuses, commit to learning from this experience in order to better yourself for the future.

Focus on Your Strengths

When making excuses we often focus on how inadequate and incapable we are. This limits our focus and brings to light all of our weaknesses. To counter this we should instead focus on our strengths and how we can use them to make the best of every situation.

Cultivate Four Critical Qualities

Finally, to overcome your excuses always cultivate patience, optimism, confidence and persistence. And if you must make excuses, then at least keep them private. Nobody likes people who can’t take responsibility for their decisions and actions.

CONCLUSION

Benjamin Franklin once said that: He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

As critical as this sounds, it’s probably not too far from the truth. Sometimes we get so absorbed in making excuses about things, that we forget to focus on making the best of every situation no matter what the outcome. Maybe from today onwards, we will remember his words and take them to heart.

So what’s your excuse for not putting all of your effort into your business? I challenge you to re-word your excuse. Remove the initial negative statement, and then the justification since no one but you cares about the justification. You need to actually come up with a reason that cannot be overcome. This has to be reason that you can’t learn to overcome, or a reason you can’t get help to overcome. You will quickly find that your excuse is nothing but a fear.