Excuses can be both a frustrating but powerful thing. We use excuses in many different situations. Whether it’s to excuse our failures or to give us a little more credibility at an awkward time, we use them on a regular basis and it’s a poor practice given the reality of what an excuse actually is.
One of the most common places to use them is when it comes to success and failures. When something fails, we usually point fingers at what we perceive to be the cause. However, if you’ve ever been flustered and annoyed during these situations, then you’ll undoubtedly understand that these are just excuses and rarely is it ever constructive feedback or criticism that can help everyone.
But what exactly is holding you back from being successful, and why do you give these excuses? Whether it’s failing to plan your next move as a business or if you’re not trying hard enough to secure a steady income for your freelancing career, we’re going to analyze why excuses should not be a part of your life and how you can put yourself back on track.
Successful people don’t make excuses
If there’s one thing that separates successful entrepreneurs and regular employees, it’s that they don’t make excuses. If something in business fails, then they analyze why it failed, how they can fix it in the future and what they can do to change things for the better. They’re not going to dwell on it and they’re going to learn from those mistakes instead of pointing fingers and putting the blame on someone else. Good leaders understand that success is a long road. Along the way, you’re going to encounter many different failures and pitfalls, but without knowing these beforehand you’re going to stumble into them and they will slow down your progress. However, successful people will learn from these situations and they will prosper as a result.
There are always opportunities out there
Another common excuse to give is that you’re simply not capable of reaching your dreams or following your passions. However, even a physical disability isn’t enough to stop people from becoming personal trainers and there are sports leagues that field handicapped players. There are also countless opportunities for people to study as they work and pick up new skills. There are always opportunities out there if you’re willing to put in the work, so there’s no point giving excuses when there are people out there exceeding expectations and defying common criticisms.
Passion vs realism
Lastly, we can’t forget about passion vs realism. Yes, you can be incredibly passionate about something but you also need to be realistic about what you can and can’t achieve. This is to prevent you from setting false goals and ultimately devaluing what it means to achieve a milestone in your life. For example, can you honestly quit your job and become a freelancer in less than 48 hours? Sure, but is it realistic to do so when you don’t have other steady sources of income and a family to feed? The realistic and sensible thing to do in this situation isn’t to quit your job, so it’s a valid excuse that you have a family. However, that shouldn’t stop your passion–you just need to be smarter about how you achieve it.
