Say No to Excuses
One of the prominent black scientists and inventors of the early 20th century, George Washington Carver once said that “99 percent of failure comes from people who have the habit of making excuses.” We have heard statements like “I didn’t pass that exam because the examiner dislikes me” or “I am not getting promoted at my job because my boss hates me”. Some others say; “I didn’t turn out well in life because my parents did not give me a good education.” Excuses like these are often presented by people whose current realities are far from where they are expected to be. But history is filled with the stories of people who were in bad conditions yet turned things around by living value-adding lives worthy of emulation.
A good example is the golf legend, Tiger Woods. Woods is unarguably one of the greatest golfers the world has ever known. Named PGA Rookie of the Year in 1996, he continuously topped his profile winning a total of 3 career grand slams. Tiger Woods also holds the record of the youngest and fastest to accomplish 50 tournament wins on tour. He achieved his first No. 1 world ranking in June 1997 and went on to hold the top spot for 264 consecutive weeks from 1999-2004. In his second streak, Woods held the No. 1 position again for 281 weeks from 2005-2010.
Unfortunately, things began to decline for the champion when the news broke of his extramarital affairs and subsequent struggles with addiction that forced him to rehab. Woods lost endorsement deals from major brands like Accenture, AT&T, Gillette and General Motors. Embracing a lifestyle of drugs and excessive alcohol intake, Woods was arrested a number of times for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Woods hit rock bottom. However, instead of giving excuses, he held a press conference in 2010, to express remorse for the infidelities in his marriage, he owned up to his actions and committed to a counselling and rehabilitation programme.
After about a decade of struggle, the world witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports. In April 2019, Tiger Woods emerged the golf champion again. He proved critics wrong by claiming his 5th Masters Tournament title after four back surgeries.
I strongly believe his recovery began when he owned up to his mistakes and committed to fixing his mess. You see, taking ownership is a critical part of being responsible. You can only influence the outcomes of something you own. For example, if you’re assigned a project at work and you don’t take ownership of it, it will get out of your control. In the same vein, if you make poor health choices and don’t take ownership of the problem, it would most likely grow worse.
So friend, do you find yourself in an unpleasant place in life? Instead of giving excuses, why not get on the driver’s seat and change the outcomes of your life. It begins with taking ownership and I’d like to share 3 habits you can nurture to take ownership of your life.
1. Quit the Blame Game
We have a natural tendency to blame others for our circumstances – sometimes without even thinking about it. But to make progress, you’ve got to stop blaming other people or factors for the realities of your life. You need to assess your own contribution to the situation by asking: “What is my role in this? What did I do to get myself here? When you answer these questions as honestly as you should, you are on your way to changing the narrative of your life.
2. Think of Solutions
When the unexpected happens and life doesn’t go the way we want, we are tempted to bemoan the problem and throw a pity party. That won’t help much. Though the situation might be bad, don’t spend too much time moping and feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, put on your creative hat. Ask questions like “How do I get out of this?” Reach out for help if you need to. You may not find a solution right away but as you start to put together a plan of action, you will gain a sense of control over your outcomes.
3. Take Action
This is very critical to your recovery process. Once you have determined what you need to do, it’s important you take action early. I love a popular Chinese proverb that says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Basically, this means you should not waste more time getting started. Go right ahead and change the realities of your life now.
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, Make It Count
