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We all do it. Whether we express them internally or verbally or both, we all make excuses. Excuses for why we didn't perform up to the ability that we know we can -- excuses for why we failed to follow through. We seek to justify our performance, rather than take ownership of our faults.
This past weekend, my team and I competed at the Jeff Wentworth Relays -- shout out to The First Academy team and coaching staff for putting on a wonderful meet!
I ran the 3200 again this weekend, with a 12:18 -- three seconds better than last week. But along with a fourth place finished, I developed an excuse for my performance. "It was the morning race that did me in," "I lost contention with the other runners, so I lost my focus." These were just the excuses that I came up to justify -- and make myself feel better for -- my sub-par performance.
In reality, I know that I am training much harder than a 12:18 runner. And just last week I talked about how I know that I am capable of so much more, so I was disappointed when I only improved by three seconds. And, to be candid, I found myself trying to develop an excuse for why I did not break 12 minutes.
Taking Full Responsibility for Our Results
We make excuses often -- at least I know I do. Excuses for why I cannot do something, why I cannot be someone, or why I cannot succeed. It is something that I want to change about myself.
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Excuses are defined as "a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense." You know what that means: we are at fault for our own disappointments. So, we cannot blame the weather or other people for reasons why we did not do well -- we can only blame ourselves.
The eighth grade me, the runner who thrived in competition, did not make excuses. She never saw the runner that was 200 meters ahead as someone who was "out of reach." She saw opportunity and went after it.
I think that as we grow older, and we experience hardships -- whether they be in running, work, school, or other areas of our lives -- we begin to see the possibilities as impossiblities. We start losing the childlike quality that never saw failure as a bad thing, that never made excuses for why we can't do something.
I made a mistake this weekend in my race. I made an excuse for why I couldn't succeed. It is something that I am owning up to now so that I can keep myself accountable to not justify my sub-par performance again.
I encourage you to tap into that child in you that sees all life's possibilities at your fingertips, the one that never makes an excuse for why they can't do something -- the one that goes after their goals.
So quit the excuses because, what value do they have to our success? Own up to yourself. Be confident in your performance and learn something from it.
Remember: There is no such thing as a bad race, if you learned something from running it.
As always, own your performance, run with all your heart, and relentlessly pursue your dreams. - Adair
