excuses

Oct 25, 2009

I subscribe to a bunch of blogs — some because they are funny, some because they have awesome business insight, and some because I can. I don’t even know which category I would put Chris Brogan’s blog in, but you too should subscribe. He’s a social media expert (but posts a bunch of other info too if that’s not an interest of yours), and he posts too darned much (my opinion only here kids!). Every single time I look, I’m behind 2 or 3. Like today, I listen to a vodcast he’s posted, but it’s part #3 in a 3 part series. Anyway, the series is called ‘Overnight Success’ which really didn’t make me perk up or anything. I don’t think Chris Brogan or anyone else could tell the world how to be an overnight success in 3 short vodcasts. Still, I watched part #3 — and I’m glad I did because it got me thinking. Deep thoughts.

This particular segment was on making excuses. And yanno, for me it had nothing at all to do with being an overnight success, but everything to do what I see every single day of my life.

We all make excuses sometimes for the things we can’t get done. But do you pile excuses in the way of your goals, desires and what might move you down the road? … I don’t feel great this afternoon. I’m depressed or anxious or too tired. I didn’t have time to get that done today….

You can excuse yourself right out of everything that’s important to you! You can. Really. Success isn’t going to be handed to you. Just like Chris Brogan, not one person has dropped by and handed me a bag of money. Not once has anyone written me a check and said, “Shelley, you rock. Take this bajillion dollars and go buy yourself a new house.”

Getting to another point in your life or reaching a goal is hard. You have to struggle. You have to make sacrifices for anything and EVERYTHING that matters! Excuses are simply barriers in the way of the work you have got to do to get where you want to be. You gotta’ put the throttle on. You gotta’ push and stretch past what is easy.

But you know what? If you really don’t have goals, and you really don’t care about getting to another point in your life — then you can keep right on doing what you’re doing, and making excuses for why you can’t. Pretty simple, huh?