Crunch Point: Test Your Excuses

Brian Tracy explains in his new book that when you are at a crunch point—that point where problems, difficulties, unexpected reversals, and crises knock you off balance—it is important that you identify your constraints. You need to identify those things that are restricting your progress. To do this you must be (absolutely) clear of your goals. If you aren’t you won’t know what is standing between you and where you want to be. At this point you must avoid the tendency to start making excuses. Most of them are not valid. How can you know? He writes:

There is a way that you can test your excuses to see if they are valid. It is simply to ask yourself, ”Is there anyone else who has my same excuse but who is moving ahead and succeeding nonetheless?”

If you are honest with yourself, you will immediately realize that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who have it worse than you could ever imagine and are succeeding anyway. If this is the case, your excuse is invalid. Don’t let it hold you back anymore.

He suggests once you have identified your main constraint, focus on it until it is eliminated. Don’t let minor issues sidetrack you from alleviating that one constraint.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing. —Abraham Lincoln

Related Post: Challenge Assumed Constraints