What Does This Mean: “It’s an Explanation; Not an Excuse.”?
Have you ever heard the expression ,”It’s an explanation, not an excuse” when people talk about ADHD behaviors?
The wording of this slogan is confusing. What does it mean? What is the difference between an explanation and an excuse? The dictionary definition for “explain” is , “making clear or intelligible something that is not known or understood” while the definition for “excuse” (there were several but these meant the most to me) is “to try to free a person from blame; to serve as an explanation or justification for: to justify, exculpate, absolve.” People who have given up on themselves, and feel their ADHD will never allow them to be successful, might be tempted to use ADHD as an excuse–a reason they give themselves about why they aren’t more successful; why they might not even want to try.
To manage your ADHD in a healthy manner, this paradigm needs to shift. Yes, ADHD causes challenges in your life, but in trying to be your best, you need to be willing to work to overcome or manage your challenges. You focus on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
If you are motivated to make ADHD an explanation for how you function, and not an excuse for why you fail, then coaching could be the tool that will bring you to the next level in your life’s satisfactions. Contact Cynthia now at 253-238-0729 to discuss whether coaching is appropriate for you.
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