The other day I read a terrific post from a marketing expert.
The subject is irrevelant.
In the comments section, someone posted a “yes, but…” reply with a couple of excuses about why they couldn’t do what was being recommended.
In my 15+ years of training people on our ‘Go for No’ strategies, I have seen a good amount of excuse-making. (And I have made plenty of excuses myself in my life don’t get me wrong!)
But, you know that saying, ‘the truth shall set you free?’
I’ve learned that it does indeed.
The faster I have told the truth about what I really want, the better. And that doesn’t mean just to other people but also to myself.
The reality is, that you can never get enough of what you didn’t want in the first place.
In John Maxwell’s book, The Dream Test, (highly recommend, grab it here) he asks ten questions to help you determine if you can turn your dream into a reality.
The very first question may strike you as odd at first.
Yet I am willing to bet, is the root of many excuses, stalls, and procrastination.
Question #1: Is my dream really my dream?
If you want to achieve your dream, you must “own” it. It must be yours, not your parents’, teachers’, or anyone else’s. If the achievement of a dream is not of great importance to you, it’s unlikely that you will do what’s required to accomplish it.
It’s okay not to want something. You have your reasons for why you do or why you do not.
It’s okay not to want what everyone else wants.
But it’s a tragedy to get stuck in the middle.
You don’t want what people are telling you to want, but you still care about what they think so you grab onto some good excuses and you don’t move.
You don’t do anything. The faster you tell the truth to yourself the quicker you can get on with living the life you really want.
With no excuses.
Comments? Please let me know your thoughts. And if you liked this post, please share! – AW
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