Aug 21
Moving Beyond Excuses
As a coach I hear a lot of reasons why people don’t reach their goals. The reasons (excuses) seem to fall into three categories:
Language – we are often nonchalant with words and yet it has a huge impact on our mindset. Growing up, our parents frequently gave us verbal warnings, “be careful,” “that’s dangerous,” and “you can’t do that you are…(too little, not strong enough, not old enough)” to name a few. This type of language is used in reference to a child’s physical safety and is important. However, even though our parents had our best interests at heart and those words were well-intentioned, the underlying messages of those words can become programmed in our minds. As child grows and develops, those words can transfer meaning from physical safety to our mindset, thereby affecting our approach to life. Being aware of our language is the first step to eliminating excuses.
Fear – in the literal sense, fear refers to a clear and present danger and causes a fight or flight response. But most of the time, a person is not really in a fight or flight scenario and then the fear they are experiencing may be best described as an acronym for “False Evidence Appearing Real. When a person is imagining a worst case scenario, they won’t take action because of this imagined fear. If fear and creativity are the imagination unleashed, what changes in your life when you make it a habit to look for a positive outcome, instead of only seeing the fear based outcome? Fear is natural and healthy…until it’s not. Being able to understand the fear and make calculated decisions to move beyond it is the next step to living without excuses.
Influence – We are influenced by the messages we receive. Are you carefully choosing the messenger or are you listening to whoever is in front of you? The people in our lives (parents, spouse, kids, friends, extended family, social media and the news) impact our subconscious thoughts about the world. We must be conscious of our information intake. Surrounding yourself with people and information that support the life you want to live is the third and most important step to excuse-free living.
Make a commitment to use purposeful language, move beyond your fear and surround yourself with the right influencers will move you beyond excuses and closer to your goals.
Laura Treonze, serves as Chief Life Strategist with LMT Consulting, which helps executives and teams create massive success through self-awareness. Her life-changing approach has transformed individuals and families and has redefined the way non-profits and corporations “do” business.
