Eliminate Excusitis

Welcome back to this short multi-part series, based on The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz. In Part 1, we covered the powerful relationship between self-belief + success. 

Here’s what we’re covering today… 

Everyone experiences fear and everyone experiences setbacks in life. But the way different people deal with those fears and setbacks varies… Big time.

Some people experience a setback, take it on the chin, and keep moving. They learn, they grow, they get better. If this is you, you can stop reading this and keep crushing it at life. 

Then there are the folks who seem to have an excuse for every setback they experience. Every failure, every challenge, and every mistake has a carefully coordinated excuse behind it to help them soften the blow of failure. 

But how can you possibly succeed at anything if you’re busy coming up with excuses for why you can’t? 

In The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz lists four major excuses he’s observed in people who experience constant failure: 

1. “My health is bad”, 
2. “I’m just not smart enough”, 
3. “I’m too old/too young” and 
4. “I’m just not lucky like other people.” 

Anyone can hide behind excuses like these. 

But highly successful people refuse to let these setbacks turn into excuses that keep them from accomplishing their goals. 

Excuses keep you in stagnation.

And if you’re not careful about eliminating them from your mental library, you might end up with a bad case of Excusitis: the disease of creating excuses for not acting or accepting responsibility. 

You will discover that excusitis explains the difference between the person who is going places and the fellow who is barely holding his own. You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses. — David Schwartz

Excusitis, also known as “the failure disease,” can grow if it’s not treated, and before long, the excuses you give for not striving for success become so deeply embedded in your mind that it feels like you’re unable to break free of the hold they have on you.

In similar vein, fear breeds fear. If we let it take hold, it’ll grow and grow until we find ourselves unable to move forward in our careers and lives. 

Excusitis and fear are paralyzing.

So how do you break free?

Sometimes, it’s as simple as reminding ourselves of the many positive things in our lives – taking inventory of our assets and abilities. 

For example, if you’re 40 years old and want a career change, but think you’re too old to make it happen, remind yourself that you’ve still got at least 30 productive years ahead of you… That’s more working years to look forward to than you’ve already worked. 

Another example: In The Magic of Thinking Big, there’s a story of a salesman who feared losing his job because his sales numbers were dipping. As he worried about this, the fear grew. And before long, he found himself unable to make any sales at all, which only made it more likely he’d end up getting fired… Until he was given some sage advice: a) work hard and figure out why you’re sales are suffering and b) start looking for another job as a back up. 

You’re probably thinking, “Duh, bro. Common sense.” 

But here’s the thing: it can be hard to think when you’re frozen in fear. You question yourself. You worry. And all of a sudden, even obvious solutions are covered in fog. 

In both of the examples I shared above, the key was to take some sort of action:

• If you suffer from excusitis, stop hiding behind excuses and do something.
• If you’re frozen in fear, don’t pretend like it doesn’t exist; feel the fear and do it anyway.

Remember the quote I started this Big Idea off with? 

Here it is again: “The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms every time.”

It comes from an amputee, a man who literally lost his arm. 

This same fella also happened to have an incredible golf-game. He was so good, that most golfers with two arms couldn’t play as well as he could with one… 

And when someone asked him how he got so good, he said, “Well, in my experience, the right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms every time.”

Think about that for a minute, and you’ll realize it applies to more than just golf. It applies to every domain of life. 

The amputee had an easy excuse to hide behind: “a one-armed man couldn’t possibly achieve the same level of proficiency at golf that a man with both arms could.”

But instead of making excuses, he got out there and learned how to make up for his handicap. 

Unrelated, but all this golf talk has me thinking about a professional golfer named John Daly right now, and I’m legit stopping for laugh-breaks as I type this. The guy proudly drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney, and puts God knows what else in his body—and still manages to rank as one of the greatest professional golfers of all-time. All while joking around and laughing after every drive.

The right attitude, the right mental model, the right disposition – it can make up for any impediment.

Actionable insights

Excusitis keeps people average. It’s a dream killer, an energy sucker. It infects your thoughts, poisons your potential, and holds you hostage from becoming the type of person you want to be. But there is a cure. And I’m about to share it with you.

Here are the 4 deadliest forms of excusitis, and how to cure them:

1) Health Excusitis. (“But my health isn’t good…”)

According to the CDC, over 75% of Americans suffer from at least one chronic health condition. Do you think all of them are using their health as an excuse for not achieving their goals? Easier said than done, but the cure to this excuse is in your attitude toward your condition, not the condition itself. How to cure yourself if you suffer from health excusitis:

• Stop complaining about your health every chance you get. It’s natural, I get it. But it doesn’t help. Keep those conversations between you and your doctor, and a few loved ones or trusted friends. Waxing on and on about your health is like pouring fertilizer on weeds. I don’t know anyone who’s cured themselves of an illness by complaining about it… Do you?
• Stop worrying about what might go wrong. it drains your energy.
• Be grateful for the health you do have. Live to wear out, not to rust out. (one more time: “The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms every time.”)

2) Intelligence Excusitis. (“I’m not smart enough…”)

Success has very little to do with “IQ” and a lot more to do with “I Will.” It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters what you do with what you know. How to cure yourself if you suffer from intelligence excusitis:

• EQ beats IQ every day of the week. Develop a positive outlook and attitude. Learn how to deal with people.
• Stop underestimating your intelligence and stop overestimating others.
• Replace phrases like, “I’m not smart enough to do X” with “What do I need to learn to be able to do X?” or “How can I learn to do X?”

3) Age Excusitis. (“I’m too old/young…”)

There’s a quote I love that goes like this: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” It doesn’t matter whether you’re 28, 38, or 78 – the right time is right now. How to cure yourself if you suffer from age excusitis:

• Remind yourself that your birth certificate does not dictate your capabilities.
• Lookup people who made their mark around your age and use their story to inspire yourself.
• Rather than viewing your age as a barrier, leverage it as an advantage. If you’re older, use it as a badge of wisdom. If you’re younger, leverage your energy.

4) Luck Excusitis. (“I just don’t have good luck…”)

How to cure yourself if you suffer from luck excusitis:

• Stop believing in luck. If you believe in luck, you’ll rely on luck. If you believe in yourself, you’ll create your own luck.
• Stop waiting around to “get lucky” and start living like you already are.
• Replace “I hope” with “I will.”
• Preparation + Attitude + Opportunity + Action = LUCK. Prepare for what you want. Develop a positive mental attitude backed by unshakeable self-belief. Be ready to seize the opportunity when it comes your way… And when it does, take immediate action to make it happen. That’s how you make your own luck.

No one was born with excusitis. Not you. Not me. Not anyone…

Excusitis is something you catch. But there’s a cure for it, and I just gave it to you. If you suffer from this disease, use these tools to cure yourself.

Because the most powerful decision you’ll ever make is to stop making excuses, and to start taking full responsibility over everything in your life.