Reframing: How to Make Yourself Stronger Than Your Excuses (Nursing)

00:00 Now, remember, excuses are rationalizations that we make to ourselves about people, events, and circumstances to defend our behavior or to neglect or avoid taking action or responsibility.

00:12 Oh, you know this one.

00:14 Do you tend to run late all the time? Do you always blame it on the traffic? Well, just try to start saying things like, “You know what? It isn't that traffic was so bad? It's that I didn't leave my house early enough.” Take responsibility for it. Are you running behind on something? It's because you underestimated how much time it would take.

00:32 Start being aware of how in your everyday speech and in your everyday relationships, how often you make excuses.

00:40 So stop looking at them as options for yourself and think about what could I have done differently in this situation, so I didn't have to think about making this excuse.

00:49 This quote from Florence Nightingale is one that I use on a regular basis.

00:55 I have it posted in my office because I want to change my attitude about excuses.

01:01 So let me read it to you.

01:03 “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” That is a phenomenal game changer. Think about that.

01:14 If you never allowed yourself to give or take any excuse, how different would your relationships be? How different would your study habits be? It's phenomenal.

01:26 Now, if you really want to know how do I do that, first of all, you have to admit that you're making excuses.

01:34 That's the first thing.

01:35 I’ll let you in on a little secret.

01:37 You're really the only one who halfway buys into your excuses.

01:41 I promise you, your friends, your family, and your faculty know that you're making up some pretty sorry excuses.

01:48 So first step, if you want to crush your excuses and stop using them, step up and take responsibility, you first have to admit that you're making them.

01:58 Then you reframe those key processes we talked about.

02:02 Remember those three key thought processes? I can do it. I can handle it. And I can push through it.

02:11 If you use those, there's no reason for you to make excuses.

02:14 You'll be able to step up and take responsibility and extreme ownership for your own life and your own study habits.

02:21 So remember, put these where you can see them too.

02:24 I can do it. I can handle it. And I can push through it.