The Anatomy of an Excuse

In this episode we’re going to take a deeper look at something we all do, sometimes without even realizing it, and that’s make excuses. We often talk about how to overcome excuses in coaching but today we’re going to look at why people make excuses in the first place. We’ll cover the unintended consequences of making excuses, the benefits of excuses, and how to stop making them (or at least make less of them.) If you want to look at excuses from a different perspective, this episode is for you!Highlights03:15 It’s developing a pattern or habit of making excuses that really gets in the way of success. It’s once we start making excuses to ourselves to explain away unhealthy or unwanted behaviors or to justify why we didn’t do something we were supposed to do. 06:58 When someone constantly makes excuses, one of the consequences is, you don’t believe them anymore.Their credibility takes a hit and you start to see them differently. 09:49 Excuses also lead to procrastination. Making an excuse is a way of placing blame outside yourself and allows you to put off the pain of taking an action for a bit longer. 13:41 Excuses are the lies your fears have sold you. It is about fear. Nine times out of ten, we’re choosing not to do something because we’re afraid and then we make up an excuse. 16:11 Making an excuse on a regular basis is really a way of avoiding pain, avoiding risk, and preserving the status quo.  ContactHeather Price Consulting