January 26th, 2010 - There is No Such Thing as a Good Excuse
“Bad excuses are worse than none.” - Thomas Fuller
Have you ever noticed how we, (myself included), medicate ourselves with excuses for not being happy, not being successful, or not reaching our goals? It’s as if these excuses make it all better. There are no ‘good’ excuses, they’re simply just excuses. In reality, these excuses keep us stuck. Last week, I was talking to a friend and I caught myself doing this exact thing. I stopped in mid sentence and said, “No excuses, I just didn’t do it.” I was then able to recommit and move on to bigger and better things.
Well, here we are 4 weeks into the new year. How are you doing with your New Year’s intentions? You notice I did not say New Year’s resolutions, because as we all know they don’t last as long as some of the hangovers. Are you starting to crawfish out and make excuses for not taking action on those goals?
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself when setting your New Year’s Intentions and goals.
- Is this goal a ‘should’ or a ‘choice?’ Sometimes we set goals based on what we or someone else thinks we should do. If it’s a ‘should’ then your chances of succeeding are slim to none because you’re not committed to making it happen.
- Are my goals smart, realistic goals for me? Be realistic about what you are willing to do to achieve the end result. Challenge and stretch yourself, but don’t set yourself up for failure. Remember goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
- What is my plan of action? Do you have steps in place to get you to the finish line, and again, are they realistic ones? Sometimes we get so caught up in the ‘doing’ that we fail to do the necessary ‘planning’ that’ll keep us on track. As the old saying goes, “You have to crawl before you walk” and the same goes when making an action plan. It would great if we could simply twitch our nose like Samantha in “Bewitched” and everything would be instantly finished for us, but that’s not real life. Map out a clear plan of what you need to do, step by sometimes painstaking slow step, to get you to where you want to be.
- Am I ready to let go of tired practices that aren’t working and try something new? For example, you’ve tried getting new clients via sending out newsletters on a regular basis and so far you’ve only gotten 10 over the past year. Now is the time to try a new tactic or approach to build your list. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results and that same principle applies to your business and life. Unless you really enjoy running into that proverbial brick wall, embrace change and move on. Keep trying new things until you find a method that works for you and helps you achieve the level of success you desire.
- Do I have the support of a mentor or coach to keep me focused and accountable? In today’s changing marketplace, having a mentor or coach is no longer considered to be a luxury in your business, it is a necessity. Why? Because they can help boost your confidence, stop procrastination, minimize trial and error, and get better results in less time. My own coach holds me accountable, focused, and keeps me honest so I don’t sabotage myself.
If you practice these 5 simple steps, I can guarantee you that you’ll achieve every item that’s on your list of intentions for 2010. Plus if you get stuck in ‘analysis paralysis’ as I call it, send me an email at Cookie@CookieTuminello.com and I’ll help you get straightened out and moving forward.
