As excuses go, this one is pretty weak (no pun intended) and I think is most often said internally.  Externally, it’s just whining – like kids saying they just can’t get the hang of mowing the lawn.  But when we tell ourselves that we don’t have what it takes either in physical or mental fortitude, there’s a part of us that really means it and that doubt is crippling. While I have no scientific evidence to quote I think women fall victim to doubting their own strength far more than men – testosterone has been shown to be linked to confidence in risk taking.

When it comes to physical strength, we are not all created equal and most of us are not only not ready to tackle Everest but have no real desire to do so which means there’s little incentive to start training for it.  But what about some other goal? I’ve always thought it would be cool to hike the Olympic National Park from the North to West boundaries – a 3-5 day trip through the back country of interlocking deer trails.  There are a number of reasons why I haven’t made any progress towards this and one of them is I don’t think I could physically pull off walking that far with a full pack. But at the same time that’s not an impossible level of fitness, even for me:-) I’ve just let the excuse stop me before I even start solving the other problems like who else would be willing to go along.

Most of us can’t escape testing our mental strength at some point – accidents and disasters happen without warning and most of us discover that we had more in reserve than we ever thought possible.  And yet still, when it comes to something like risking your life savings to start a business, we balk.  Caution and a good business plan are certainly called for, but if what is stopping you is the thought that you aren’t strong enough to handle it, or deal with the potential failure, that’s a problem.  If you make a list of everything that you have been strong enough to handle, I’m guessing the excuse just won’t measure up.

Next week: ‘I’ll compromise because I’m not confident enough to fully commit’

Technorati Tags: common excuses, self-doubt, taking risks