"Sorry sorry today I did not go in, my motor is broken"
"Sorry sorry yesterday I can not attend the meeting, I suddenly had a stomach ache"
"Sorry mom, report is not finished, my laptop suddenly broken"
"I'm sorry I'm late Sir, the road was heavy traffic jam"
Do the sentences above sound familiar to your ears? Maybe there are your colleagues who like to say those magic words? Or do you yourself often say the sentence above and the like? If yes, sorry yes, hehehe ... writing this time is special for you.
The above sentences are examples of sentences "excuse" aka reasoned. Basically everyone has a "reason-making" side in each of them. Try you remember, on one occasion, surely you never catapult excuse. Either reason did not come to the office, the reason for delaying work, or the reason of late coming home. I myself too. Or often yes? Hehehe ...
This excuse is humane. Because it is part of the human mechanism in defending itself. On the basis of his man always wants to protect his self, because his, when the "ego" feel "attacked", it appears instinct to survive. Among them with the reasons. However, you have to be careful. Making too frequent excuses can make you suffer from a disease I call "Chronic Excuse Making" (people with illness make chronic reasons). This is the worst.
Chronic Excuse Making (C.E.M) sufferers will always take cover behind the reasons, to cover up things that do not want or can not do. As if, by delivering an excuse, the obligations to be carried out have been resolved. So if there is an unfinished work, then excuse is what will be put forward. Why come too late? Kan ... jammed. Why not finish? Kan ... I'm sick. Why not come? Kan ... it was raining. Etc.
And we all know, whose name excuse will not change anything. If not finished yes means not finished. Whatever his excuse. If it does not come yes means it does not come, whatever the reason we give. C.E.M sufferers sometimes forget this, because stuck in the reasons presented.
Never trade results for excuses.
In the book "Winning Habits", Dick Lyles tells the story of Admiral John P.J. Farragut, a very successful US Navy sharer in both his military career and his post-military career. In the book fiction is told Admiral Farragut reveals the secret of success to a young couple named Albert and Jennifer. One of the secrets of Admiral's success was obtained during his military education. The secret reads: "Never trade results for excuses".
In a disciplined US Navy military education, when an aspiring officer is asked by his senior, and he does not know the answer, there is no "I do not know" answer. There is only "I'll find out, sir!" However difficult the question was. It is conceivable, if one day they serve on a ship, in a critical situation, if there is a problem to be solved, then "I do not know" is not an answer at all. In fact, during education, they will be very busy with various learning programs that are not possible for them to linger find answers to questions raised seniornya. And when the prospective officer can not find the answer, there is only one reason to say: "No excuse, sir!" Yes, no excuse. Because any excuse put forward can not replace the answer that should have been delivered.
The US Navy officers have learned that excuse, however, is the reason that we fail to live up to the commitments we have made. Indeed, sometimes there are obstacles that block. But successful people are those who are proven to always overcome obstacles that hinder their committed commitment, and do not give up easily for simple reasons.
Push it to your limit.
In the past, when I was an employee, I often received "mission impossible". One that I still remember is the duty to participate in a tender in a company located outside of Java. Actually this is a common task. But this time with time to prepare the proposal and tender documents are very short. Just two business days. It usually takes at least two weeks to prepare the same document. But this time there is no mercy, I only have two days. The first day is practically exhausted to prepare supporting documents, copy them and put in the folders to be brought to the tender. On the first day I came home at 12 pm. The second day, I just finished making a technical proposal at 12 o'clock at night, while at 6 am I had to be at the airport. And the trouble is that I live in Bogor area, more than 1 hour drive from my office.
It was almost impossible in the morning I could join the tender. I almost gave up. Alone, 12 o'clock at night, in a dark and stifling office (in Sudirman area overtime for lights and air conditioning is very expensive), have not had dinner yet, and imagine my friends and superiors back then who are all asleep. I almost decided to give up. I'm ready to make excuses. Starting from my sudden laptop crash, suddenly my car radiator leaked, suddenly stomach ache, suddenly fever, etc. Anything I can mention so tomorrow there is no reason to come in the tender earlier. And suddenly I am so creative to make excuses. However, the more reasons I refrain, the more I realize, that: There is no point in making excuses. Any excuse I make, will never be a bully of the facts I will receive tomorrow: that I failed to participate in the tender. This is what I can not accept. And I laugh at my stupidity.
At that time I immediately decided to take home all the home folders, tidied up the folders and envelopes at home, looking for seals and seals at 2 am (and magically can), put all the envelopes into the travel bag, shower, change clothes, and go straight to the airport. I managed to be in the tender location at 08.30 am, 30 minutes before the tender started. I'm satisfied. My struggle for two days was not in vain.
But I lost the tender. Though the document that I prepared impeccably. What can be made, the solutions we offer commercially are less competitive. Despite losing, of course I personally still profit. Why, really lucky? No, not the money SPJ. The company I work for does not get the project, but I'm still fortunate to have a very valuable experience. That it turns out I can fulfill my commitments, without having to give any excuse, when I try to my limit.
So if you start feeling the symptoms of C.E.M, try these two recipes immediately: (1) Remember, that excuse can not replace the final result, and (2) Try to limit you before delivering the excuse. Hopefully then all of us (including myself) will be able to avoid C. E.