Excuses Excuses: Getting past the excuses and getting on...

Feel like you can’t stay on track when it comes to reaching your goals? I’ve said that our tendency to elaborate on the all the reasons why not makes it hard for us to see how we just might make it. Our usual litany of excuses and rationalizations gets in the way too. Is it the excuses or is it you? Are you entrenched in your excuses and your unwillingness to see possibilities?

What excuses do you continue to make over and over again? No time? No motivation? Don’t know where to start? And what are the rationalizations you give yourself when you give up? It doesn’t matter? It’s not that bad? It’s too hard? Try this exercise to help you beat down your excuses:
Write each of your typical excuses and rationalizations on an index card and on the back of the card write a statement that debunks them. For instance: “No Time”, on the back write, “Walk just 10 minutes before lunch break.” Here’s another example: “It doesn’t matter anyway,” on the back write, “Yes it does, my weight is stressing me every day and my blood pressure keeps going up!” Keep the cards in your wallet or purse or somewhere handy where you can refer to them when you’re about to skip out on your promise. These cards will help you challenge your excuses and keep forward momentum! Excuses and rationalizations are relentless – don’t take them lightly. They will continue to haunt you. This exercise allows you to be prepared to counter them! Onward!