There’s a silly bluegrass song called “Just Because” about a woman staying with a man, just because, he has lots of money. The song is fun to play, but the “Just Because” mentality is something I hear all the time in the business world. It goes like this: “I am not good at ___, just because I ___” and you can fill in the blank. Just because we were not good at something at some point in our lives, it doesn’t give us license to declare we are inept in specific areas for eternity, and yet we hear people continue to argue FOR their limitations, almost like a badge of honor.
Next time you start to tell yourself you can’t do something well, just because you’ve got a proven track record from the past, decide to change your conversation. Say something like, “In the past, I didn’t use to be good at ___”. We can recondition ourselves to erase any excuses and mental cobwebs that tie us down to past experience and performance. Today is a new day with limitless opportunities. It’s smarter to save the “just because” mentality for funny bluegrass songs, and challenge ourselves to rethink any mindset that has us stuck in repeating limiting behavior.
