Motivation Mondays: It’s All Excuses

It’s another New Year.

Are the resolutions you have the same ones you have had last year?  Did you achieve your goals last year and now have new, even bigger goals or are you just recycling the same ones, year after year?

This year, like many of you, I have a list of things I want to achieve before the next new year arrives.  That means in the coming 365 days I have the opportunity to change the things I don’t like, and create the life I want.  However, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to tell you that many of the things on my list are the same things that have been on my inventory for many years.

Yes, I am human.  For the past few years I have wanted to get into shape, lose weight, grow my business bigger than it is now, stop procrastinating and so on.   Yet, I have not achieved these goals – or at least not the extent that I have wanted.

Why?

The one thing that I have come to know is that the reason I have not achieved all that I have wanted is because of all of the excuses that I have come up with that have stopped me from doing so.  But that’s all they are –excuses.   We can convince ourselves that all of the justifications we have for not achieving our goals are legitimate, nevertheless let’s call them what they really are – Excuses.

• “I’m too busy.”
• “I don’t know how to do it.”
•  “I’m too tired.”
•  “They told me I couldn’t do it.”
• “It’s not in my nature.”
• “I don’t have the right personality.”
• “I don’t have the right contacts.”
• “It’s too much.”
• I don’t’ have enough money.”
• “I’m too (insert adjective here – old, young, sick).”
• “I’m scared that they won’t (insert reason here).”

These are all just excuses which stop you from achieving what you want to accomplish.

Many of my Rainmaking Training clients have become adept at creating excuses – which they truly believe are good reasons – for not building the books of business they truly want.

I believe that anyone can build a book of business.  “Rainmakers are not born; they are taught (sm)” is not just a tag line for me, but a truism.

Each of the above excuses, which I have heard ad infinitum – hell, I’ve used them myself – is just a way to not do the hard thing and make changes because it is easier to stay where you are then make a change.  In fact, psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that there are only two real reasons to change – pain and pleasure.  That is, if it is more painful to stay where you are:

“If you don’t bring in new clients, you will be fired (or go bankrupt).”

Or, it is more pleasurable to change than stay where you are:

“The more clients you bring in the bigger the bonus you will get (or become partner).”

then, and only then, will you do the things necessary to create the book of business you want.

Status Quo is your enemy.  Status Quo keeps you exactly where you are right now.

I have two questions that I would love to see you answer in the comment section or, if you would prefer, send an email to info@marketingfield.com:

1)      What is your biggest excuse for not becoming a rainmaker?  (It can be one of the above ones or it can be something else – just let me know and we will overcome these excuses together.)

2)      What is the one thing you can do to change – to shake up the status quo that is keeping you exactly where you are – to create the book of business you want to create?