If you’re anything like me, “goals” are one thing you’re never in short supply of. Perhaps you also find new growth opportunities and passion projects to be exhilarating and motivating!
But… despite having plenty of things you’d like to achieve, you simply aren’t making progress.
Despite your best intentions, you can’t seem to move the needle when it comes to chasing your goals and achieving your desired level of success.
Why is that?
Truthfully, there could be a number of reasons. Perhaps you lack sufficient resources. You truly aren’t equipped with the knowledge or tools you need to get the job done. Or maybe you’re in need of a strategic action plan. A step-by-step guide that helps you make forward movement towards the things you’d like to achieve.
Or maybe, just maybe, there isn’t a true “reason” why you can’t (or aren’t) making progress…you’re simply making excuses.
Why do we make excuses?
Let’s face it…people are naturally risk-averse. To some extent, this is a good thing, a natural survival response bred into all living things since the beginning of time.
However…
There is a significant difference between “healthy caution” while considering new ventures and being paralyzed by the excuses and lies that we tell ourselves about our goals and our ability to achieve them.
Excuses are poison for activation. They lead us to surrender our passion for achievement and prioritize the safety and comfort of our current situation over the vast potential that may come from achieving our goals.
To put it simply…
Excuses can have a significant and detrimental effect on our success before we even have a chance to begin.
Common Excuses and Limiting Beliefs that Block Success
- I am not (young, old, smart, pretty, strong, etc.) enough.
- Other people are better than me. I don’t have what it takes.
- It will take too long to reach my goals. In fact, they could be unattainable.
- It’s too hard, too much work.
- I am too busy.
- It’s selfish (I feel guilty) when I prioritize myself and my goals.
- My life is fine as it is. I might disrupt it.
- I’ve made mistakes in the past…what if it happens again?
Chances are one or two of these excuses may feel all too relatable. For many individuals, there is a core lie or two that routinely hinders their progress towards any goal.
These lies become like “habits” of self-talk. They are so familiar that we stop recognizing when we are making these excuses. Just like any other bad habit, these patterns of self-deception need to be interrupted, challenged, and reshaped.
Reshaping our habits is a process that begins by taking an honest look at ourselves and identifying our challenges.
Take some time and reflect on your own life.
Think about both your successes and your failures. In reflecting on these moments, we can learn valuable information about both our strengths and habitual excuses. We can recognize the limiting, deceptive stories that we tell ourselves in order to identify and dismiss these lies in the critical moments when they threaten our progress.
Ask yourself:
- What have been my moments of greatest success? What made these moments different from others?
- What were my moments of greatest failure? What lies about myself or my goals did I tell myself in those moments?
- Are there recognizable patterns in the stories I tell myself? Are there certain excuses I regularly make?
Once you’ve identified your “habitual excuses,” be vigilant and pay attention. These deceptions are likely going to keep popping up.
Good habits aren’t formed, and bad habits aren’t replaced in a single day. It takes time, awareness, and an intentional choice to reject the lies and excuses as they arise and to keep moving forward toward our goals.
To dive more deeply into this self-awareness and which habitual excuses you might be prone to, I highly recommend taking the Enneagram assessment. This free personality test offers insights into WHY we think, feel, and act the way we do. It can help you unpack the things that will motivate you towards greater achievement, and the things that often stand in your way.
If you want to dig a little deeper and grow in understanding of yourself, schedule a short chat and we will explore this question together!
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
