The Worst Excuses for complacency And Not Changing Your Life Part 2

In the last edition of my writeup, I promised to continue from where we stopped  on the worst excuses for complacency and not changing your life. If you want to view the first part click here Here are other excuses we give when asked why we have not accomplished or achieved our dreams.

7. I don't have the right connections.

Between company websites and LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and all the other social media platforms you can reach almost anyone besides the Pope and maybe Bono. In fact some people are surprisingly accessible (maybe that's one of the secrets of their success?)

Still, start small. Start feasible. Build a foundation. A great network is like a pyramid with a wide base, not a thin vertical line that goes straight to the top.

And never forget that the more influential the person, the more they tend to be inundated with requests. Have a good reason to connect, give before you expect to receive, and you will be surprised by the people who respond.

8. I'm too late.

Jobs beat you to the graphical interface and mouse... but Xerox beat him. Zuckerberg wasn't first in social media. Buffett is hardly the first to buy and hold.

The list goes on and on. Innovation is never one-and-done; some of the most successful companies – and careers – are based on refining earlier ideas and innovations.

You're only too late if you're not willing to be better, faster, stronger, cheaper, or just ever so slightly different than whoever got there first.

9. I can't think of a great idea.

Dreaming up something new is really, really hard.

Reacting to something that already exists is really, really easy.

Walk around and start complaining (to yourself.) You'll see tons of problems that require solutions. Those solutions are ideas.

Or walk around your workplace and start complaining (again, to yourself.) There are tons of problems you can address.

"New" is hard to imagine. "Better" is much easier.

Most careers and businesses are built on "better," not on "new."

10. I can't take that risk.

Any risk you take today is a risk you can recover from tomorrow. Given time you can overcome almost any setback, stumble, or failure, and emerge stronger and smarter and better equipped to succeed the next time.

If you never try, all you will be is regretful. When you're old and grey and "done" you'll have to look back on your life and think, "I wonder what might have happened if I had only..."

Having to look back with regret is one risk you should never take.

11. I'm better at planning than execution.

No you're not. You're just too lazy to do the grunt work. Or you think you've already paid your dues. Or you think you're above it. Or – pick your excuse.

Every successful person I know can and does, when necessary, roll up his or her sleeves and just plain outwork everyone else. (That's one of the reasons they're so successful.) 
You don't need some undefined innate quality to be good at execution; all you need is discipline.

12. I can't stop until it's perfect.

Sure you can. You just don't want to: Maybe you're insecure, maybe you're afraid, or maybe you fear rejection or criticism.

Do this instead: Do your best. Then step back: If doing a little more work will result in a dramatically better outcome, go for it. If doing a little more work will not make a difference anyone but you will notice, let it go.

Then make improvements based on feedback you get from the people whose opinions matter most: Your customers.

13. I'm not comfortable doing it that way.

I was raised to be humble and self-effacing, so I hate to say I'm good at anything. But sometimes I have no choice; taking advantage of certain opportunities requires confidently describing my skills, experience, and accomplishments.

If you're not comfortable doing something because it violates your principles or ethics, by all means don't. But if you're not comfortable doing something simply because it will take you outside your comfort zone, you're just rationalizing.

And you'll never be more than you already are.

14. I can't find anyone who “gets” it.

Oh, they get it. They just don't want it.

Truly great ideas can be described in a few words. Truly great products can be described in a few words. When no one seems to "get it," the only person not getting it is probably you.

Let go of your pride and agenda and "unique point of view" and figure out where you've gone wrong.

15. It's too hard.

Long journeys are hard. No problem: Individual steps are easy.

Say you’ve been sitting on your couch for years and suddenly decide to run a marathon. You're right: That's too hard. But you can go out and run a lap or two. Or you can walk a mile or two. You can take one small step towards a difficult goal. And then another. And then another.

Or say you want to lose 50 pounds. That's too hard. But you can eat one meal differently. Or you can take a walk at lunch.

Or say you want to open a business. You can look at possible locations. Or work on your business plan. Or talk to a potential supplier. Or get advice from a mentor.

You can't accomplish any difficult goal overnight, but you can accomplish one step, however small, towards that goal.

Think about the end of a journey and every single step that will be required along the way and you'll never start. Instead, just do one thing that will help get you there. Then build on that one thing.

You can definitely do that.

16. I'll be too embarrassed if I fail.

Failing in public can be humbling, especially since some people love to talk about the misfortunes of others. Of course those are the same people who never dare to try something themselves. So don't worry about them.

A smaller (much smaller) group of people will respect you for taking your shot. They'll recognize a kindred spirit.They'll empathize. They'll encourage. They'll pick you up.

They know what it's like to try and fail and try again.

They're people living their lives on their terms.

 Okay, this is the end of it, I hope you enjoyed it and you could pick out one or two reasons you give sometimes in your career or life. I will love to hear from you by commenting on which of the point resonates with you more.