As a business coach, there are three common excuses clients usually have when I ask what their biggest challenges are to achieving the success they desire.  All three excuses are what I call “scape goat traps”.   It’s easy to justify failure by making excuses that seem perfectly logical and believable.  Excuses allow us to escape blame and personal responsibility.

The inherent danger with excuses is that they prevent us from succeeding.  And worse yet, the excuses are really just well disguised limiting beliefs which translate into a self~fulfilling prophecy of playing small.   One of my favorite quotes about excuses is by Benjamin Franklin: “I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else”.

There are three common excuses that health and wellness practitioners commonly use as reasons why their practices are struggling.  Do any of these sound familiar?

1. The economy: Many entrepreneurs blame the economy when profits are less than ideal.  Focusing on challenging situations which are beyond our control is not an empowering strategy for success.  The truth is that there are many companies and small businesses who are flourishing in this economic downturn, and it’s much  more motivating to follow their lead and use them as inspiring examples.   There are many prospective clients who are willing to spend money and are happy to invest money on valuable services such as protecting their health!

2. Change of season: Another area of blame comes during the summer months and the holidays.  Many times business owners use timing as an excuse to enjoy themselves and avoid working.   Ironically, this is often an ideal time for health and wellness experts to ramp up their marketing efforts.  People often feel more self~conscious when the shorts and tank tops come out.  And during the holidays, many people are concerned about gaining weight and having to diet in the New Year.  The holidays are often prime time for gift giving and a great time to market the gift of health and wellness.

3. Parenting: As a mom to two girls, I know there are challenges to running a business and being a parent.  Usually the issue behind the excuse of parenting is more about lack of effective time management than the kids.   It’s common to hide behind the mask of raising a family.  However, if an entrepreneur really wants to build a successful practice, time management tools and finding support are excellent strategies that can prevent the self~sabotage of hiding behind the kids.

The root of these scape goat traps is usually fear. Fear of failure, fear of being good enough, or fear of other sub~conscious beliefs or patterns are the most common causes of excuses.  The first step in breaking the pattern is to recognize an excuse for what it is, which is a way to disguise fear.  Then, make a conscious effort to break the excuse trap and find the support you need to create an action plan and finally break through the blocks that are holding you back.

What are your fears? Please leave me a comment, I’d love to hear your feedback.