Do You Rationalize Your Negative Habits?
Posted by Eric Twitty on November 7, 2008
Welcome back!
What is rationalization? Most people do it without even realizing it. When you rationalize your negative habits, you definitely impede your progress towards your goals in life.
Basically, rationalization is creating plausible excuses to justify your negative behaviors. You are essentially lying to yourself to relieve guilt or make yourself feel better.
Here are some common examples of rationalization:
- “I had a good workout today so I can eat whatever I want.”
- “I’ll start saving money once I make more money.”
- “I’ll quit smoking after my birthday.”
- “I was drunk, so it was not my fault I cheated on my girlfriend.”
- “I’m underpaid, why should I work hard at work?”
These excuses can be the single biggest roadblock to a person’s success in any endeavor. Once you internalize the concept of rationalization, you can begin to recognize it and stop doing it.
Think about the times in the past you have rationalized your negative habits. Has anything good come from it?
Keep this concept in mind and try to recognize it in yourself and other people. Learning to recognize other people’s rationalizations is good practice for recognizing it in yourself. When you catch yourself rationalizing, recognize it for what it is and don’t let it be a roadblock to achieving your goals.
Once you stop rationalizing your negative behaviors, you will begin to achieve your goals faster than ever before. You will no longer be sabotaging your own success.
