words of wisdom from Helene Bernicoff
Manager, Sex in the City, Reprintt 2003
For everything that needs to be done, we are great at coming up with a dozen excuses for why we didn’t do it. Doubt and fear can limit you if you let them. Every challenge is an opportunity…so “stop” your excuses by committing to forge ahead. Your goals–your dreams–are too important to be stopped by excuses. The next time you feel an excuse coming on, fight back with this list of EXCUSE STOPPERS:
•I don’t know how–Ask for help and start to learn today.
•It’s too hard–if it’s worth doing, it’s worth the effort. Nothing is more satisfying than accomplishing something you didn’t think you could do!
•It will take too long–“The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” Think about how long it will take, then think about what you’ll be doing at the end of that time if you don’t start today.
•What will people think–Sometimes YOU need to come first. If it’s the right thing for you, don’t worry about what others think. Be true to yourself.
I’ll do it as soon as I get back on my feet–Remember the saying” “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” Little baby steps lead to bigger steps. Look how much further along you can be by starting today.
•I might fail–True…but if you don’t try, you’ll never know if you would have succeeded. Don’t let yourself down by not trying.
•I’m too busy–Where are you spending your time? Is it helping you reach your goals and dreams? If not, rethink your priorities and take action accordingly.
•I don’t know where to start–Start at your planned end result and work backwards step by step until you discover something you can do immediately, and start from there.
•I have too many commitments–Be true to yourself first. Fulfilling your own needs and responsibilities first enables you to then offer help to others.
•These things never work out–Every situation/person is different. Treat each with a positive outlook and take advantage of every opportunity.
•Remember…you deserve the best from yourself–NO EXCUSES! Spend your energy taking action rather than thinking up excuses!