If people were compensated for every excuse they made…there would be no shortage of billionaires in the world. We all have excuses as to why we cannot do certain things: I am too busy, I do not have enough money, I’m too old, I’m too young, I’ll never make it, etc. These excuses are crutches that preclude us from achieving our goals and dreams.
I used to be afraid of failure…that was my excuse. I often viewed failure as fatal and tried to avoid it as much as possible. This fear impacted my ability to get out of my comfort zone. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to do things perfectly. Growing up I faced many pressures that contributed to this desire to be perfect.
I was such a perfectionist that I wanted everything to go my way the first time. If I thought I could achieve a goal or task without too much risk…I would pursue it. If I did perceive more risk, I would pull back. The only exception was for new job opportunities…I have never been too afraid to go for jobs that made sense to me even if others perceived it too risky.
For example, I remember when I worked in banking and transitioned from the credit to the sales side and started a role in the Business Banking group…some warned me that they ‘turned them and burned them’. I had some reservations but moved forward anyway. However, the people were right…they definitely ‘turned them and burned them’. It was challenging and expectations were high and often unrealistic. There were lows before highs, but one thing about those tables, they always turn. I went from a bottom performer to one positioned for great success before I was recruited for a better opportunity at another financial institution.
Nevertheless, when it came to starting various business ventures, I went back into the perfectionist mode that everything had to be perfect. I remember my wife calling me out on that and I was thinking she is right…I am letting perfectionism and fear stifle me from ventures that could be great opportunities to fail forward and live my passion and purpose.
With that mindset shift, great things have happened! I have created leadership seminars and done keynotes speeches where I had no clue how I would create or deliver the content. However, by the grace of God I was able to do it and do it well! I had to be bold and courageous, take risk and push past my fears. Through each experience, I became more confident and was surprised by what I could accomplish when I pushed past excuses, perfectionism, and my fear of failure.
Are there excuses in your life that are holding you back from pursuing that job or business opportunity or getting that degree or achieving your personal goals? I would encourage you to take a moment to create three columns on a sheet of paper. Write down your goals in the first column and the things that are holding you back in the second column. Next in the third column, write down things, people and strategies that can help you overcome them. At the end of the day we all have limitations, but not excuses. Excuses and fears do not realize dreams! Moreover, people who push past their fears and move in faith can succeed! They have the courage to leave their comfort zones. They have the audacity to take the leap despite the unknown! These soldiers trust that if they put in the effort, the universe will conspire to help them realize their dreams!
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Remember, Greatness Awaits You!
Carlos T. Carter
Founder & Chief Motivator
www.seeds2fruitmotivation.com
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Inspiring!!!! Great job Thank you for sharing