Musings at Altitude

Over the years, we’ve heard them all…maybe even used them all.  I wasn’t ready.  I didn’t feel comfortable.  I couldn’t find what I needed.  I couldn’t get there in time.  I didn’t think I could do it.  I was worried about who would support me.  I have too many other things to do.  I just don’t have time.

When we take excuse making and rationalization for not getting things done or doing things poorly to an even bigger level, the “I” turns into a “We”.  We didn’t have the right team.  We needed just a little more time.  We couldn’t get our act together.  We didn’t have the support we needed.  We made the right choice but just didn’t execute right. 

When we take excuse making and rationalization to its ultimate level, the “I” or “We” turns into a “They”.  They don’t have a clue.  They didn’t support us.  They are asking us to do things that we shouldn’t have to do.  They are taking up all of our time, so we can’t focus on what we need to focus on.  They don’t want us to succeed.

Many people make excuses when things don’t go as planned.  Many others make excuses before any steps are ever taken.

What would happen if for one month, or one week, or even one day, excuses weren’t allowed?  What would happen if we focused on preparation rather than explanation?  What would happen if we focused on anticipation and expectation rather than procrastination?  What would happen if for that pre-determined period of time we focused on justification rather than rationalization?

I bet we’d get a lot of things done. 

Excuses minimize our strengths and maximize our weaknesses.

Excuses create individual and organizational lethargy and latency.

Excuses drag us down and hold us back.

Let’s focus right now on what we do have, not what we don’t have.

Let’s focus right now on what we can do, not what we can’t do.

Let’s focus right now on who we do know, not who we don’t know.

If we do indeed focus on what we do have, what we can do, and who we do know, we may not need to make excuses!