Attribution Error

As an evidence-based life and career coach I hear a whole lot of attribution errors.

Some people come to me and over-blame themselves for their lack of growth or progress or goal attainment: I lost my job and I was diagnosed with a complex medical issue and my partner left and I was homeless for a few weeks and I can’t believe I didn’t write my business plan. What’s wrong with me?!

Or they come and over-attribute their lack of progress to external factors: I was going to write my business plan but then my cousin asked me to babysit and work was super busy and then we had that really windy weekend, do you remember?! And of course, it just didn’t get done!

If you aren’t achieving your goals it can be interesting to check in with the sense you’re making of your own slow progress. Are you attributing blame? If so where?

And what do you need to do, in order to start achieving? Do you need to give yourself a break, given your current circumstances and then resume your efforts once you’re really ready? Or do you need to start taking responsibility for your own behaviour and future?

Tags: career-coaching, life-coaching, Melbourne