Excuses—The Cancer of Success

Innovation is an ongoing necessity in any culture, and I find that innovators all across the world are making a difference every day. Sadly more than ever I find myself exchanging knowledge with great minds who claim to be entrepreneurs, but never complete their vision. A true entrepreneur is more interested in solving a problem than gaining monetary results. The quandary most start-up "go-getters" face, is focusing on the imminent picture, versus what they are trying to accomplish in the long run. Instead of pivoting when adjustments are needed, it is easier to say, "I am not ready just yet."

Generally, the most used excuse I hear is, "I am just not prepared enough." What really happens when someone tells me this is that they are either too fearful to take the necessary steps in anticipation of failure, or they are not willing to put in the work needed to be successful. Either way, preparation will get you only so far, and there has to come a time when you decide to put your plan into action, and take a chance to fail.

Failure is not a bad word, although we have been tainted with the idea that anyone not becoming a millionaire by age 30 is an inept entrepreneur. Every human being has taking their first step at some point in their lives with numerous attempts to make it from point A to point B. And how many times did it take to finally reach the destination without falling? Why is it that we are judging one another in such a harsh way when first attempts turn out to be a flop? As long as the outcome is not a blunder, I say "spare no effort to try again." The word "Entrepreneur" by definition means that it involves taking on higher risks than the average person. To become successful in a particular category involves strategic thinking, as well as inventiveness. Dedication and determination are only two of the main ingredients needed to move from one level to the next. Albert Einstein said it best: "Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts." One of the most beautiful things in life is that we can always start over. The worst thing to do is give up and lose hope. When I was a little girl my mom insisted that I learned how to figure skate. In Germany that is not at all unusual. I envisioned my jumps and pirouettes before I ever set foot on that ice. To my surprise, I didn't last one second on those skates, and it took a good while before my butt stopped meeting the icy platform, what seemed at least a hundred times a day. Was it my preparation that made me an all-star skater two years later? In part, yes. But the fact that I had to fall time after time to perfect my mistakes to finally master the details of what made me a successful skater remains. In other words, I had to learn to fall before I was able to succeed.

Avoiding loss of any kind, as far as business is concerned, is a sure way to miss opportunities. There are obstacles that can usually be conquered, and then there are excuses, which are nothing less than the cancer of your success. Like a disease, it will spread doubt, trepidation, and cause the death of your vision and mission. You started out with an idea that would enrich either your own life, or somebody else's. In any case, you cannot let circumstances and possible roadblocks stand in your way. Nobody climbs a mountain without preparation, but preparation is not at all what makes the climb possible. Envisioning the journey, feeling the joy of the adventure on the road to success, that is what makes the climb to the top a victorious one.

Stop preparing and start doing. Nothing is standing in your way except your own mentality. Set your mind in motion, and you will find yourself thinking more positively. Positive thinking provokes positive actions, and positive actions lead to success.