Month: November 2021

We’ve been used to using an excuse to get out of just about anything we don’t feel like doing. Sometimes, we use them so consistently, it seems like it’s not a big deal and it turns into a worthless routine and a waste of energy.

Actually, excuses over a long period of time will cause you to miss out on your own life. How do you even begin to create a habit of avoiding excuses?

Understand What An Excuse Is

Excuses are lazy reasons we give ourselves, or others, to not follow through with what needs to be done, or a responsibility.

Some may say, “…but it’s a valid reason…”. If it’s a valid reason, then it’s not an excuse. Don’t get caught up in thinking that every excuse is a valid reason.

Deep down inside, we know when we give in to those ‘valid’ reasons. Later, we begin to feel some sort of guilt because we dodged what we could’ve done.

Excuses are disguised as reasonable explanations, when they’re really not. Don’t let it fool you into being lazy and unproductive. Also, beware of others who try to give you excuses to use.

Recognize What Your Excuse Sounds Like

Everyone has a certain word or phrase they use when confronted with a request or responsibility. It usually sounds something like:

“I don’t want to.”

“I’m tired.”

“Why can’t she do it?”

“I did it yesterday.”

“If he would’ve done it the right way in the first place…”

All of these are the beginnings of a whiny excuse. When you recognize what your excuse sounds like, you can make the attempt to avoid going down that road.

Start by knowing you can do whatever it is that needs to be done. You can make it happen and move on with your day. Handle your responsibilities with confidence and be accountable for what you do.

Just Do It!

What should you do if you hear yourself about to create an excuse? Just do it!

How do you overcome a life full of excuses? You conquer it by dealing with it head on. Be honest with yourself and lean into it. Yes, it’s hard, but there’s no other way to rid yourself of this ugly, unfulfilling habit.

It’s easier said than done, but it is very possible. Free yourself and become the excellent person you want to be. Nothing comes easy – it starts with eliminating those useless thoughts and words and taking action towards becoming more responsible.

If You Want To Be Excellent…

It all begins in the mind. If you want to be excellent, don’t wish for it, be it.

Being the example holds you to a higher standard. People who play on a different level never consider using excuses. When something needs to be done, it gets done.

No matter how tired you may be, or how late it is, you can always do a little more. When you practice being ambitious, it gets easier with time. You’ll become a beast at getting things done. There’s no room for being average in your journey to success.

Understand the power you have. Many people have done great things before you and you possess the ability to do great things, also. As long as you keep moving forward and stay focused, committed and resilient, you can make all the dreams in your heart come true.

#BeGoalden

The world is full of possibilities and attainable opportunities. The internet has made it easier for us to believe in our dreams coming true – or has it?

We think, “If only I had x, then I could do y.” Not too long ago, we could easily blame our circumstances for not completing a goal – we didn’t have access to resources that could help us win.

Now, we do have more information and access than we could’ve ever imagined. Yet, we still find little things to stop us from making progress. Why do we think so small?

Think

We live in a world where we are free to think and make a way for our ideas to come alive. At the same time, we allow the tiniest obstacles to stop us.

Before the internet, we didn’t have resources at our fingertips. If you wanted to do some research, you had to physically go to the library, or to a building that held the information you were looking for. Now, everything is online.

If it’s easier to obtain what we’re looking for, why is it that we’re still having trouble following through with our goals?

It Starts In The Mind

Whether you have resources at your immediate disposal or you have to get in a car and drive 30 minutes to retrieve information, it all starts in your mind.

It’s easy to say, “Oh, that’s too far – it’s raining – I don’t have enough gas to get there…”. Excuses are easy to come by. Persistence is what actually carries you to the point of completion.

No matter how difficult or easy something is to accomplish, your mind is the director of your actions. It may be simple to retrieve information nowadays, but the excuses are still there.

Some people will create new excuses, even if their situation was made easier for them to make progress. Making things harder than they really are is a trick being played from your mind. In some cases, the more access you have to make progress, the more excuses are made to impede your progress.

Thinking Small

Thinking small is easy. It doesn’t require any effort or extra pulling or pushing.

When you think big, you have to create a plan, overcome obstacles, have discipline and develop resilience. A lot of people don’t possess these qualities and that’s why they continue to think small.

Just because the internet made things easier, doesn’t mean the goal is any easier to achieve. You may not have to go to the library to do research, but following through is still an action you must take.

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

No matter how much of an advantage we have with obtaining resources, it doesn’t matter until you take action. The only difference is, you save time with doing the research.

There are greater things we can do beyond what our minds can think. Don’t get stuck in the habit of thinking small – there are people out there who are making the impossible possible, all because they decided to follow through, challenges and all, and made it happen.

Never underestimate the power of thinking big. As Marianne Williamson wrote, “…your playing small does not serve the world…”. Don’t be your own worst enemy – think past your fear and get your ideas out to the world!

Taking it one step at a time is a common theme we hear in life. Everything doesn’t happen all at once the way we want it to. Our experiences makes us who we are, yet, it’s easy to give up and hope everything turns out right.

Understand that you must be willing to put in the work to see the results. You may visualize your success everyday, but it does nothing if you continue to wish and not work.

Having a foundation of action allows you to get out of your mind and move forward. It takes multiple attempts to achieve any goal. When setbacks happen, it’s extremely important that you know how to focus and take the next step.

Don’t Stay Stuck – Move Forward

• Plan, then take the first step.
• Prepare, then go all in with confidence.
• Fail, then correct the mistake.
• Think about it, then commit.
• Research, then begin.
• Fall, then get back up.
• Notice the distraction, then focus.
• See the problem, then find a solution.
• Have your feelings, then get over it.
• Experience the struggle, then continue to grow.
• Feel the fear, then do the best you can.
• Acknowledge the doubt, then trust yourself.

Get Out Of Your Head

This list is how you get out of your own way. Get in the habit of moving forward, without shame or embarrassment. Living in your mind will waste your time and energy. Don’t wonder how it will turn out – take the next step and see how it will turn out.

Working on yourself everyday doesn’t have to be a big production. As long as you do something to positively enhance your mind and body on a daily basis, you will see improvement. It’s the little details that create the big picture.

Don’t become so overwhelmed that you’re unable to move forward. Do one thing to get unstuck, make progress and become a better version of yourself. Start now and you’ll thank yourself later.

We all encounter distractions and nonsense on a daily basis. Whether it’s at work, on TV or on social media, it’s always there, fighting for our attention.

As a result, we’ve become immune to it. It’s doesn’t present a challenge to us any more because we’re so used to it. Becoming used to it has given us permission to just deal with it and to allow it into our minds.

Here are a few ways you’re working against yourself and how you can work towards doing better.

1. You have your notifications on. When you’re working, your attention is supposed to be focused on what’s in front of you, 100%. As soon as you hear a ‘ting’, you look up to see who or what it’s about. Someone just posted another funny cat video. Now, your attention is broken and it will take a considerable amount of time to get it back. Turn off those notifications! It can wait until you’re done.
2. You overindulge yourself with information. Yes, it is critical to do research and collect information for what you’re doing, but sometimes, it can be too much. If you want to learn how to sew, do enough research to start. You don’t have to watch 50 videos and read 50 websites to take action. Look up the necessary information and go out and do it! Getting caught up in being a professional researcher only allows for procrastination and when you procrastinate, you don’t start!
3. You leave your mind open to anything. Your mindset is the most important asset you own. It’s good to have an open mind, but determine what is useful and what needs to go. Stop letting garbage enter your mind. It could be in the form of gossip, reality TV, social media, etc. Control what goes into your mind. If you plant good seeds, they will grow. If you plant bad seeds, they will also grow (weeds), but which would you prefer? It affects your attitude and your day when you consume garbage. Take in some motivational videos, get around good people and have meaningful conversations.
4. You hit snooze every morning. Just wake up. Why do we fight waking up every single morning? That’s the first struggle of many throughout the day. Whenever you hit the snooze button, you never get more sleep. Figure out whether an earlier bedtime would help, a cold shower or a cleaner diet, but whatever it is, see how you can avoid that daily battle. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and it allows for a stressful start. It’s easier said than done, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Develop a better routine to greeting your day.

Not only will these things cause you to work against yourself, they cause anxiety, as well. You can blame it on other factors, but you have power over what you do and how you do it. Even if you’re unable to control your environment, you can still make adjustments. Don’t just sit there and take it.

Fighting against yourself and being counterproductive is all on you. Decide what goes into your mind, decide to take action and decide to work fully focused. You can control all of these things. All it takes is a present mindset and intentional action. You can do it!

#BeGoalden

Finding your calm has it’s benefits. The way we choose to respond can be helpful or a bigger distraction. Would you rather be that person who always overreacts and make it worse or the one who has control of their emotions and handles it responsibly?

We deal with stress on a daily basis, but most times, it’s stress that we bring upon ourselves. Even if other people do upset us, we don’t have to bite the bait. There are ways we can productively manage and keep our composure.

Calm Thinking

Being calm allows you to think through demanding situations. It gives you the ability to find a solution. This is the reason why some people have anxiety – as soon as something happens out of their routine, they go into fight or flight mode.

This can be extremely stressful. Everything does not deserve a high level of energy to respond. It may begin to ruin your day, but you do have a choice to manage it differently.

Instead of reacting, choose to think. Will this change if I become angry? If I yell at the other person, will it make the situation better? How will it make me feel afterwards? You can even prepare yourself by answering these questions now, before anything happens.

“Who thinks like this?” you might ask. Calm people – that’s who. Once you make it a habit, it becomes effortless. Automatically, you’ll begin to think constructively and you’ll gain an advantage over the situation.

It’s easy to get mad, throw things and use unpleasant words. In the end, you’re still left with the same problem you had before. Try finding a way to make it work and see if it still leads to an unnecessary tantrum. More than likely, it won’t and you can move on to whatever’s next in your day.

Health Issues

All of this can lead to possible health issues. When you stress yourself out, it’s not just your mind, but it involves your body, also.

Notice when you are angry, you tense up. Your jaw may clench or your shoulders become rigid. Overall, you might feel some sort of tightness throughout your body.

It’s like being in an urgent situation, but nothing’s really happening. The cashier just gave you back the wrong amount of money and you’re unhappy about it. You’re upset and your mind is going a mile a minute and so is your body’s anxiety. This is a bad habit that we have to unlearn.

Perhaps you were raised in an environment where everyone became enraged at the slightest mistake. The people around you would go from zero to one hundred over any small misunderstanding. It’s natural to take on this unhealthy behavior unconsciously, but it can have an adverse effect on your body.

Constantly putting yourself into fight or flight mode can put you at risk physically. The stress of taking on any and every thing that goes wrong can be harmful in the long run. If someone punched you in the face, your senses will rightfully kick in, but if someone bumped in to you by mistake, that shouldn’t trigger the same reaction. You don’t want to put your body through that type of pressure when it’s not needed. It will eventually wear you down.

Think Before You React

What’s the first thing someone tells you to do when an emergency happens? Remain calm and breathe. It may not seem like the logical thing to do at the time, but it helps in many ways.

The slower you breathe, the more calm you’ll be. Also, when others see you are calm, it calms them down, too. Now, everyone can collectively think and make proactive decisions.

Exercising, or simply taking a walk, also helps by regulating your breathing. When things get out of control, you take a walk. This contributes to handling stress better. Again, it allows you to consider what’s going on more completely and gives you the chance to respond, respectfully.

Remaining calm takes practice. Various unforeseen circumstances can be a challenge to handle, but remember to be mindful of the moment and breathe. Don’t let a simple situation turn into a difficult dilemma. Be calm and live your peace.

Giving your power to your past is one of the biggest personal distractions you can allow. Situations that you keep re-thinking over and over again, can keep you complacent.

Whatever situations that have happened in the past can push you, or hold you back. Instead of recalling the success and productive moments of our lives, we unconsciously prefer to remember the negative moments.

No one wants to go back and relive the distressing and awkward moments and with good reason – but what if you could use those moments to create a more productive outlook?

The Good Times

Reminiscing about the good times with family and friends always brings about good feelings. You look back and remember how things were simple and the little silly things you did that made life adventurous.

Those feelings are very strong. It puts everyone in a good mood and lightens up the atmosphere. Everyone wishes that they could go back in time and relive those moments.

When The Past Holds You Hostage

On the other hand, when we think about setting goals and the vision of the future, our minds go south. We remember how everything went wrong the first time we did public speaking, or how we lost the Spelling Bee by misspelling a simple word.

Those feelings are stronger than the good feelings, because they hold you back. Something is reminding you that you don’t want to be embarrassed or make more mistakes. In this instance, you lose your power.

In essence, you’re ending your journey before it even starts. The distractions of the past have frozen your ability to move.

Pick Up Your Feet And Get Moving

As you know, the most important step of success is taking action. The only thing that matters is how to get to the next point.

Before that, you must be in a good mental space. Nothing starts without a thought or an idea, so let’s think positive. Things will go wrong, but be strong enough to know that you will figure it out and above all, you’ll be fine.

All of the mistakes you ever made in your life? That’s feedback. Those things that you call problems? Those are not problems, they’re challenges. The way you look at things can make a world of difference with how you perform.

Shift Your Perspective, Find Your Power

Yes, it’s difficult to forget the bad times in your life. You don’t want to repeat the same negative process over again.

The things that make you feel uncomfortable is where the lessons are. If you must think about it, look at it from a different angle and find a productive solution – don’t just remember it and exhaust yourself all over again.

Use your past to your advantage. You’re robbing yourself if you allow it to keep you from building your future. You are capable of more than you think. Instead of thinking, “I won’t make it,” think, “If I do it this way, it could work.”

When you shift your perspective, things will start to happen. You have the power to open your mind and believe beyond what you think you can achieve. If you can control how you think about your past (especially when it comes to your goals), you will definitely have more control over your future.

#BeGoalden