The Ten Times Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Chapter 21
Excuses

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This is about the time we should look at the excuses you are likely going to use
to avoid making any of this happen. Everyone uses excuses. Most people
actually have favorites that they employ over and over. I am certain that yours
are starting to emerge by now—so rather than ignore them, let's just go ahead
and confront the little monsters so that they don't distract you later.
An “excuse” is a justification for doing—or not doing—something. I think the
dictionary implies that it's a “reason.” However, in reality, an excuse usually
turns out to be something 
other
than the real reason that motivates your actions
(or lack thereof). For example, let's say that your excuse for being late to work is
due to traffic. Well, that's not truly the 
reason
you didn't make it to work on time.
The reason you were late is because you left your home without enough time to
allow for traffic. 
Excuses are never the reason for why you did or didn't do
something. They're just a revision of the facts that you make up in order to help
yourself feel better about what happened (or didn't).
Making excuses won't
change your situation; only getting to the real reason behind it can do this.
Excuses are for people who refuse to take responsibility for their life and how it
turns out. Slaves and victims make excuses—and will forever be destined to
having leftovers and others' scraps.
The first thing to know about excuses is that they never improve your
situation. The second thing to know is which ones you use on a regular basis. Do
any of the following sound familiar? I don't have the money, I have kids, I don't
have kids, I am married, I am not married, I have to find balance in my life, I am
overworked, I am underworked, too many people work here, we don't have
enough people, my manager sucks/doesn't help me/won't leave me alone/is
negative/is too jacked up, I don't like reading, I don't have time to study, I don't
have time for anything, our prices are too high, our prices are too low, the
customer won't call me back, the customer cancelled the appointment, people
don't tell me the truth, they don't have the money, the economy is bad, the banks
aren't lending, my owner is cheap, we don't have/can't find the right people, no
one is motivated, people have bad attitudes, no one told me, it was someone
else's fault, they keep changing their minds, I am tired, I need a vacation, the
people I work with are losers, I'm depressed, I'm sick, my mom is sick, traffic is
terrible, the competition is giving its product away, I have such bad luck . . . .
Bored yet? I know I am! I had to really reach deep into the recesses of my
mind just to come up with some of those. How many of these have you used? Go
back and circle every statement you've 
ever
heard come out of your mouth. Now
ask yourself, will any of these excuses ever improve your condition? I doubt it.

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So why, then, do so many people make them so often? Does it even matter?
An excuse is just an alteration of reality; nothing about it will move you to a
better situation. The fact that “the customer doesn't have the money” will not
help you close your deal. The fact that you “only have bad luck” is not going to
improve the conditions of your life or change your luck. In fact, if you keep
telling yourself that long enough, you'll start to expect it—thereby 
ensuring
that
things will continue to be bad.
You have to start understanding the differences between making excuses and
providing actual, sound reasons for events. This book focuses on the many
differences between the successful and the unsuccessful—and a very distinct
dissimilarity is that successful people simply don't make excuses. They are
actually quite unreasonable when it comes to providing reasons—at least for
failure—as well. I'll never ask myself (or anyone else, for that matter) why I was
unable to bring my product to market, raise enough money, or make enough
sales because as far as I'm concerned, no answer will do. There are no
justifications that will change these facts or situations—and any reasons I might
provide are only opportunities yet to be handled. Any rationale you give yourself
just gives someone else the chance to find a solution. Remember what I've said
time and again throughout this book: “Nothing happens 
to
you; it happens
because
of you.” Excuses are just another component of this—and a major
differentiator between whether you will succeed or not.
If you make success an option, then it won't be an option for you—simple. No
excuse exists that can or will make you successful. Engaging in self-pity and
excuse making are signs that someone has an extremely minimal degree of
responsibility. “He didn't buy from me because the bank wouldn't make the
loan.” No, he didn't buy from you because you were unable to secure proper
financing for a potential customer. The first statement assumes no responsibility
for the event, while the other does—and identifies a solution. Once you adopt a
more advanced sense of responsibility—and refuse to make any more excuses—
then you can go out and search for a solution. And as an added bonus, you will
avoid such situations in the future.
The quality of being rare is what makes something valuable. So anything that
is plentiful has very little worth. Excuses are one item that people seem to have
an almost endless supply of. Because they are so plentiful, they have no value.
Because they do not forward your desire to create more success for yourself,
they are worthless uses of your energy. If you are going to approach success as
you've been taught throughout this book—not as an option but as your duty,
obligation, and responsibility—then you must commit to 
never
using excuses for

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anything
! You cannot allow yourself, your team, your family, or anyone in your
organization to use another excuse as a reason why something didn't come to
fruition. As the old saying goes, “If it is to be, it is up to me.”