There’s no point in sugarcoating it – justifying your excuses is the reason why you are, where you currently are.
If you’re ambitious and making progress, then this message isn’t for you. This message is for those who are still hoping and waiting for something to happen. “I can’t do this until that happens, first…” is something you tell yourself to avoid taking action.
There’s always something you can do.
Fear of Rejection
One of the main reasons why you’re afraid to make moves is because you fear rejection. The thought of someone telling you “no” hurts your feelings, even in your mind.
No one likes to be rejected, but it’s an important part of our growth. Of course, it doesn’t seem that way when it happens, but if you can put your feelings aside and see the bigger picture, you’ll discover that it’s just another opportunity for improvement.
Rejection can hurt, but only if you let it. Some people have the courage to keep going until they get the results they want, but it takes practice to get that way. It’s like a muscle you have to develop – it becomes stronger and stronger the more you do it.
Remove your emotions and realize that you’re in the process of making progress. All successful people go through it. Get a hold of yourself and be grateful for the fact that you can make as many attempts as you want – your first try shouldn’t be your last.
Make It Make Sense
That’s what happens when you try something and it doesn’t work out. You make it make sense by telling yourself, “I didn’t want it that bad anyway…” or “It was stupid to begin with…”.
That’s simply not true. Don’t dumb yourself down to feel better – if you went after it in the beginning, you wanted it to work out. You made the time to pursue it. Just because the outcome didn’t turn out in your favor, doesn’t mean you have to lie to yourself by making up lame excuses.
People do this to make themselves comfortable. No one likes to feel bad about not getting the job or failing the driver’s test. So instead, we tell ourselves, “It’s not a big deal – I didn’t want it anyway.”
On the other hand, if you were successful, you would be celebrating. You would tell all of your family and friends and welcome their support of your achievement. Brushing it off after it didn’t work out only weakens your position for future accomplishments.
Don’t change the dynamics of your thoughts to justify the failure or rejection. It would serve you better to be honest with yourself – find ways to improve and conquer the challenge before you.
Remember to adjust your strategy, not the goal.
Excuses Are Easy, Improvement Is Hard
Knowing how to shift your mind from seeing rejection to seeing opportunity is a super power that can be practiced and enhanced. Normally, we recognize rejection and we stay there, feeling defeated.
It’s not defeat – it’s the process, letting you know that this way didn’t work, but you’re getting close.
The process is hard work. There’s a lot of getting knocked down and having to get back up and try again. Imagine if you could only try everything once and that was it – game over. What kind of life would that be?
Fortunately, that’s not the case. You have the ability to try as many times as you want to, as many times as it takes until you get the desired result. It’s all to your advantage, but you must be willing to switch your focus from “it didn’t work out” to “I know I can figure this out”.
Don’t be shortsighted and make excuses when it comes to your goals. Shift your thinking. Justify why you should keep going, not why you should quit.