I don’t mean to brag, but… I am friends with someone who is friends with someone who is friends with an Olympic athlete.
The athlete’s name is Kate Grace. She is amazing—for about ten million reasons—and she just represented the USA in Rio in the Women’s 800 Meter Race.
She did not win the Gold. Or Silver. Or Bronze. She was ranked 8th in the Finals—which is still pretty freaking unbelievable. Especially considering she had to take two years off due to a torn ligament and only started competing again at the end of last year.
8th fastest woman on the planet. Who else can say that? Nobody. Just Kate.
A few months ago—shortly before she smashed her personal record and stunned everyone by qualifying for the Olympics—Kate posted a note on Instagram that said:
“Blame nobody. Expect nothing. Do something.”
Those words—handwritten on a simple white piece of paper—appear on the wall next to her mirror. She looks at those words daily. And when she runs—you can tell.
It’s so easy to get caught up in blame. “My husband hates to travel—ugh, I’ll never get to visit Paris.” “My kids are constantly disrupting me—they don’t respect my boundaries when I’m trying to work.” “My assistant screwed up.” “My friend flaked out.” “My gym is closed for repairs today.” “It’s so cold.” “It’s too hot.” “The delivery guy was late.” “My industry is so crowded and competitive.” “Nobody supports what I’m trying to do.”
Blame is a distraction. (I say this as a former multiple-time Olympic Gold Medal Blamer.) It’s a way of frittering away your energy so that you can avoid making tough decisions—and avoid doing real, actual, courageous work.
What would happen if “blame” was no longer part of your daily routine?
Who would you become? How much could you write, record, share, give, or produce? How much could you earn? How fast could you run?
It’s pretty exciting to consider the possibilities. Personally, I’ve noticed that the less I complain, the more I create. The less I blame, the more I earn. I still have room for improvement, of course. We all do. But in order to improve, first, you have to identify when your brain is slipping into the blame-zone and stop those thoughts in their tracks. You have to say to yourself, “Nope. I’m not going to make excuses. Circumstances might not be ‘perfect’ but they never will be. I’ll find a way…”
That’s my wish for you today:
No excuses. No exasperated finger-pointing. Less blame. More hustle and sweat.
That’s how Olympians are forged—and that’s how blogs, books, businesses, cultural movements and legacies are born, too.
It’s your life. The clock is ticking.
You can make excuses or you can make big moves.
It’s on you.
P.S. Wanna make some big moves and finally do the things you’ve been saying you want to do? Check out Go Get It!, a 6-week online program designed to help you make serious progress. Enrollment opens soon, so get on the interest list here!
