The Economy Is No Excuse

Originally uploaded by rougerouge

In case you haven't noticed the global economy has been on the rocks of late. If you do nothing but listen to the news reports, it would seem things are falling apart. The Dow is plunging, foreclosures are on the rise, and you keep hearing unemployment is growing. Chaos and uncertainty seem to be the order of the day. It would be tempting to retreat from the things that make one successful, whether in business or in life.

One thing I have noticed over the past few months is that excuses seem to be on the rise. "It's not my fault, it's this economy." If I am certain of one thing, it is that I am tired of hearing people use the economy as an excuse.

Blaming the economy may be en vogue, but it's a dangerous path to follow. The economy may make some aspects of your financial life difficult, even different, but you should hesitate to use it as a go to excuse. Here's one of my bullet filled lists:

The economy is no excuse...

• ... for a poor attitude. No matter what is going on in your life, having a poor attitude will rarely help you overcome your problems.
  
• ... for poor customer service. In fact, blaming the economy for your poor customer service (I have seen this first hand) will do nothing but ensure the economy is a legitimate excuse for your unemployment. Nothing but the very best customer service should be every organization's goal if they want to survive the economic downturn.
  
• ... to give up. As uncertainty sets in, there will be those who will feel as if there is no use plodding through the tough times. Things may be a little tougher than they were in years gone by, but they will be much worse if you just give up.
• ... to toss aside your goals. You may have to alter them some, but to simply toss them aside is akin to giving up. Those who will come out on top during this time period (no matter how long it lasts) will undoubtedly be those who persevere.
  
• ... for treating others poorly. It's true that stress levels may be a little higher, but there is no excuse for behaving like you're the only jerk who's being affected by a poor economy.

I could probably add more to this list, however I feel these are some of the most important. Do you have any more?