excuses
I was reading this article by Kate Courtney. She is a world champion mountain bike racer, and has a lovely little blog where she posts once a week. I really enjoy many of her posts. This one was about taking the good excuse to do something you've always been meaning to do. But she does comment on what excuses usually are.
The part of this one that struck me was this:
As an athlete, excuses are the enemy. They’re stories often told to explain away a poor performance and avoid responsibility. And while they may provide temporary relief to the ego, excuses are ultimately what keep you from doing the thing you really want to do - performing at your best, mentally and physically.
While she specifically calls out using excuses after a poor performance, she also highlights that excuses also prevent you from doing the best you can possibly do.
Excuses can work both after and before a poor performance. They can even be used to prevent or avoid any performance at all.
Excuses can also be manufactured, made up.
Excuses are a convenient little escape hatch to protect yourself from shame and failure, or even great success and realizing your dreams.
Excuses let you settle into the comfortable known territory of your life, where you know it is safe and predictable.
And while there might be some good stuff in that safe, predictable place, the best stuff exists beyond excuses.
That's where I want to go.