Alibi-itis

Reasons Vs Excuses (Part 2)

Alibis are the next level of excuse, they are literally our alibi, our proof, that we were not able to act on our goals or our commitments. In this episode Coach Sall and Coach Dannii talk through how a "good" alibi will keep you firmly stuck just where you are and why you might actually choose that.

The quote referenced is from social and moral philosopher Eric Hoffer. He wrote " There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than achievement, for an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still have to prove that we are as good today as we were yesterday. But when we have a valid alibi for not achieving anything, we are fixed, so to speak, for life. Moreover, when we have an alibi for not writing a book and not painting a picture and so on, we have an alibi for not writing the greatest book and not painting the greatest picture.
Small wonder that the effort expended and the punishment endured in obtaining a good alibi often exceed the effort and grief requisite for the attainment of the most marked achievement."

We also talk about and reference "alibi-itis" from Dan Kennedy and his book "No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs".

A good excuse can be a life-raft that we cling to, that saves us from making difficult changes. Sustaining something can feel impossible and that can be enough to stop us from starting. We don't tend to view "not doing" as failure, we only view doing and not succeeding as failure and so not doing is often easier to accept.

Click here to listen to Part 1

We'd love to compile a Top 10 of alibis so let us know yours - you can email us your alibi story to coaches@curvesilkeston.co.uk