How Excuses Can Destroy Youfeatured

“I didn’t do that because I ran out of time.” “I can’t make it because I already made plans.” “It all got messed up because they didn’t do it right.”

These are just some of the examples people make up to excuse themselves from taking responsibility for their actions.

At the end of the day, no one really cares why you failed at your job. No one wants to hear your “My dog ate my homework,” spiel. It all is irrelevant. The point is, you can’t do something and you also refuse to own up to it.

It is simply human nature to always strive to present ourselves in the best way possible but excuses will never serve us. At restaurants, I often hear servers explain why a meal turned out wrong or why the wait was longer than expected.

No one cares. People don’t want excuses, people want results. If something is wrong, make it right. If something makes someone upset, make them smile and forget.

I am guilty of growing up with a mouthful of excuses as to why I “can’t” do something. Then reality hit. No one cares to hear me complain or whine. My job is to always show up and try my best, regardless of my mental limitations.

My boss doesn’t want to hear the reason as to why I am late, he just wants to know when I will finally show up. My friends don’t want to hear why I can’t make it, they just want to know when I will make it. No one wants to know Jane Doe is the one that is to blame for a problem, they want to make sure it gets resolved and it gets done fast.

We see this everyday. Our peers do it. We do it. Excuses are made to take the blame off of ourselves. It is much more powerful to take ownership of mistakes and take immediate action rather than dwelling on what excuses can be made.

Excuses don’t solve problems, they create more of them. They can destroy our careers and personal lives. People around us will begin to view our word as weak if excuses are all we can provide.

So, what should we do the next time we are tempted to make up an excuse? We should take one step back, analyze the situation and provide a viable solution to the issue at hand. Forget about whose “fault” it was. Forget about your pride. Stay human and humble and take immediate action. Those around you will thank you for it.

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2017 Karen  Pierik