Tough (Question) Tuesday: What excuses are you using?
“I don’t have all the supplies I need.”
“I need the graphic designer to get back to me.”
“These descriptions have to be rewritten first.”
“My workplace is too messy.”
“I need to do more research.”
Do any of these sound familiar? Some might be valid excuses to not dive into your work, but some…well…take out the word “valid” & you’re just left with “excuses.” Bring to mind that project you’ve been waiting to start for whatever reason (valid or not) & ask:
What excuses are you using?
I’ll join you in the comments section with my own But-I-Have-To-Wait-Fors. Meet you there – no excuses!
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Tags: Tough (Question) Tuesday
August 24th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Tough Question Tuesday. Why you gotta be so…tough? My excuses are oldies but goodies. And I can tell I need to pay them some attention, because this question brings up some strong emotions for me. They are: not enough time, not enough money. There are a whole lotta beliefs wrapped up in there. I think I need a hug and a cup of tea.
August 24th, 2010 at 3:38 am
Aw, Kylie, come on over – I'll give you both! But really, I'm sure there's a whole bunch of validity in there for you – you're pulled in lots of directions now, lady!
The "not enough time" excuse is prevalent for me, too. Also, the "but I don't know what I'm doing / how to start" is also prevalent in some projects I've been wanting to work on. Hm…now that I mention it…those excuses are working in tandem! And while I know now is not the time to dive in, I know I do have the time to take some baby steps. Scary!
August 24th, 2010 at 6:23 am
My excuses are also oldies but goodies:
I don't have enough time
I'm tired
I don't have enough experience/I'm not good enough –> hmmm that looks like a cross between an excuse & my Negative Nancy acting up!
I'll work on it tomorrow
I don't have enough money
Boo to excuses! Thanks for the tough question.
August 24th, 2010 at 7:08 am
my excuse: i'm scared.
i can sometimes get past this by putting it my monday to do list (and then working up the nerve by friday). good old support and encouragement also help a whole lot.
my other excuse: this other project would be more fun
my to do list helps with that one too.
August 24th, 2010 at 11:08 am
@Nailah – Ooh, you gotta watch that Negative Nancy! She's totally a Vampire is disguise. Also interesting to think of that one as: "If I have the experience, would that make me good enough?" Where/when is "enough"?
@April – Ooh (another "ooh!"), I think it's worth noting that the other projects are "fun" & the one that's scary/you want to do first is not. Wonder what the connection is, there, and/or how to make all/most of your projects fun?
August 25th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I totally agree with Nailah and April's excuses specially with
- I'm not good enough and I don’t have enough experience
And I add:
-I have to study more to do "IT" first
-I'm not creative enough
-Next month I'll take care of it. But at the following month I make up a new excuses.
I feel like a dog following its own tail…
August 29th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
The "I'm not experienced enough" excuse is pretty pervasive … and with good reason! No one wants to be dishonest or oversell themselves. That's icky, and only leads to major stress.
My recommendation? Be brutally upfront about your qualifications, but add a ferociously positive spin.
Example (not good): "How long have I been doing massage? Um, sooo…this is actually my first time. Yeah. I'll give you a refund if I suck. Sorry."
Example (awesome): "Yup, I just got my massage therapy license, and you're my very first client! After 500 hours of training, I'm so thrilled to finally be able to put my skills to work. And I'd love to hear your feedback. This is gonna be fun!"
August 31st, 2010 at 9:25 am
Wow, I was JUST journaling about my excuses this morning; so glad I came across this post today.
I won't win any prizes for originality with my excuses, the big famous ones… not enough time, not enough money, not enough energy, I don't know what I'm doing and I don't know where to start. But usually, these are just easy covers for what is most likely fear, or perfectionism, or simply not having a clear enough picture of what I really want.
The good news is, once I recognize excuses for what they are, and begin to look at the real underlying issues, they seem much more in my power to change. I may not be able to create more hours in a day, but it is within my power to choose courage in the face of fear, or learn to make mistakes, or clarify my vision and motivation.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:31 pm
@Maite – Enough with that "enough" word! Blech. It's such a red flag word for me & when I work with clients, because it's usually pertaining to a measurement that someone else set, or something that you're putting out of reach for, well, a good excuse
Will you know when you're good "enough"? When you've had "enough" experience? "Enough" creativity, talent, schooling? The list can go on & on. Where are your expectations? What is "enough", for you?
@Alexandra – Yeah, what you said! I struggled with that when I started this blog & my biz, in regards to whether I should "expose" (what's with the quotes today?) my day job-ness, and the fact that I wasn't yet a full-time coach. At first I hid it, putting the mask on that not only was I a very experienced coach, but that my entire life was perfect. Shiver. That lasted, oh, about 3 months. Thank the good god lord that I didn't keep that up! I think my struggle/path/vulnerability is absolutely an asset in my coachingness.
@Lynn – That makes two of us! And man, I wanna marry your perspective. It is all a choice, isn't it? We can choose to live our life by our excuses, or we can choose to be courageous, gain clarity, fall & get back up again, etc. Even happiness is a choice, really. Sigh.