Whilst we were away on holiday we took the time to catch up on some valuable reading time –  one book that really had an impact was “How to Change Your Life in 7 Steps” by John Bird Founder of “The Big Issue”  Not only was it a fascinating insight into John’s life (and boy did he have a lot of excuses not to be successful) but it highlights how people hide behind ‘excuses‘ as a reason for saying ‘NO’.  So What’s Your Excuse?

The ones we hear the most are:-

• I can’t afford it / I haven’t got any money
• I haven’t got the time
• I haven’t got the skills
• I can’t do it
• My partner/brother/sister/ doesn’t want me to do it
• etc etc etc

We call these objections disguised as excuses because it you really and truly want to do something you will find a way round it.

I can’t afford it

The answer here is to find a way to afford it if you really want to.  What would you be prepared to give up to find the money to get started with your online business and give you the financial security you desire?  If you truly want to do it you can find a way.

I haven’t got the time

This is the favourite ‘excuse’ of all time.  If you really and truly want to do something worthwhile then it is possible to find the time.  If it means giving up the TV or a night out to achieve long term financial security then you can find the time.  When we speak about finding time, for most people it is possible to find 10-20 hours a week to work on their business.

I haven’t got the skills

Again, this is a great ‘excuse’ but these days with resources available and push button technology this is not a reasonable objection.  Learning something new takes most people outside of their comfort zone (it did for us to begin with) but with the right attitude and mindset you can get over this objection.

I can’t do it

This one is all about the belief in yourself and having the right mindset to make that change and do what it takes

Now we are not saying that it is easy to do something different and one of the hardest things to do is stop making excuses to yourself and to others.  Excuses are a way of not facing up to reality – a weapon for you to use to pull out when things get a bit difficult … a way of saying ‘feel sorry for me’

Next time you find yourself making an excuse ask yourself how YOU would feel if someone gave that excuse to you.   As soon as we start feeling sorry for ourselves we make sure there is absolutely NO room for change in our lieves.  As John Bird says in his book “Even if you are given the biggest chance in the world, you will not see it if you are wrapped up in self pity”

Here’s What You Need to Do

Give yourself a new label – people who think in a positive way believe that you become what you think you are.  Give yourself the label for what you want to become.  If you need some help with this then get a copy of The Self Help Bible – it’s an easy read and has some great tips to increase your self esteem.

Get rid of destructive behaviours – remove yourself from friends and others who are not going to help you and get around people who will support you and are also interested in improving themselves.

Don’t compare yourself to others – it’s fine to admire successful people but don’t wish you were them – we have a saying on the wall in the office “always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else”  Focus on your own life and your own goals no matter how small they are.

Make the best of the worst – believe it or not the most successful people in life made their own breaks and began a successful life when something went wrong for them.  They used a time of personal challenge as an opportunity to reinvent themselves (we know this to be true)

Finally ….. Stop talking about IT and take some action instead.  NO MORE EXCUSES!

If you are ready to take ACTION then all you need to do is take that first step, pick up the phone and find out what you need to do – NO EXCUSES!

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