There’s Always An Excuse

There's Always An Excuse

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

Don’t Be Hard On Yourself

We tend to be hard on ourselves, unnecessarily. If we do something wrong, we get angry with ourselves, or if we don’t know enough, we stop altogether. Just know that you are doing great, as long as you keep moving forward!

Success isn’t easy. It’s an uphill battle, having to deal with the different challenges and obstacles. There will be many different things that will make you want to quit, but you must find your focus and follow through, even on your bad days.

Judgment From Others

Others will judge you and say insulting things that will make you want to give up. They don’t know the work it takes to achieve a goal. It’s easy to ridicule someone, but it’s more difficult to fight on and win.

Know that you’re doing fine. You are the one making the sacrifices, putting in the odd hours and making adjustments. They aren’t doing the work – you are.

Being lazy and pointing fingers isn’t going to carry you to success. That’s why you’re spending your time wisely, doing things that aren’t comfortable and diligently working.

Failure Is Learning

Don’t let others make you feel bad about what you’re doing – failure is a requirement of achievement. Failure is only learning, it’s not the end! It doesn’t mean you have to stop – in fact, it means you need to keep going!

Being hard on yourself only slows down your progress. Learn to feed your faith and starve your doubt. Be your own cheerleader. Find something good in your day that will spark your mind and give you new ideas.

Celebrate The Small Wins

You have something to be proud of and you should recognize that. Give yourself credit for the little things that are helping you move the needle. Over time, the small wins will carry you to the big wins. Small or big, you’re still improving!

There are people who are trying to stop you already, so don’t stop yourself. You must be your own motivator and your own inspiration. Stop depending on others to give you permission to fulfill your dream.

Criticism Will Never Go Away

Trolls and critics will always be there – they’re not going anywhere. Unfortunately, that’s a given. As a matter of fact, you know you’re doing something right whenever a troll or a critic pops up to say something negative about you.

It’s one of those things you must get used to. Build your mind to be strong enough to take the toughest insult. Use it as motivation and fuel to keep going, so actually, they’re helping you towards your results.

You Didn’t Come This Far, Just To Come This Far

Allowing insults and negativity to make you second guess your path is not the type of feedback you need on your journey, so don’t accept it.

You are here for a reason and to give up now would be giving up on all of the hard work that you’ve done so far. It takes a special kind of person to believe in themselves, especially when no one else does, but you have what it takes!

Give yourself a break and don’t be so hard on yourself. Continue to grow and focus on what’s in front of you – baby steps. Don’t let anything stop you from moving forward.

#BeGoalden

How To Win the Day

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

When we wake up in the morning, most of us act on autopilot. We go through this routine that needs to be done and we simply go about our day, hoping it will turn out well.

If you want to have a good day, you have to make it come about. Hoping and wishing will only take you so far. There are things you can do to ensure that you win your day, before it unfolds.

  1. Think it. Go over in your mind how you want your day to go. See your meeting being successful. Envision drinking water and having a healthy lunch. Anticipate having a productive day, where you create solutions and add value to the team. By seeing it in your mind first, you will already have a head start on how things will go. Visualizing helps to guide the outcome in your favor.
  2. Follow through. After you ‘see’ how great your day is going to be, do it. This is where the challenge lies. You can think of having an awesome day all you want, but you have to put effort behind it. It won’t happen magically. Once you think it, you must follow up with the type of actions that will create that awesome day for you. It starts in the mind, but you have to follow through and act it out to get those results.
  3. Give compliments and be supportive of others around you. When you have a pleasant energy about you, it spreads to others. In order to make your day great, the people around you have to be in the same boat. Although you’re unable to change anyone, you can direct the process by giving them a compliment or by helping them get over a challenge. Not only does it make you feel good, it also encourages them to have a good attitude, which leads to being more productive. It’s a win-win for everyone!

As you can see, there are many ways you can improve the outcome of your day. Allowing your day to float along without any effort from you, can lead to  stressful and ineffective reactions.

Take control of your day before it begins. This allows you to have a positive start towards a positive day. As you go throughout your day, remember, you are in control of how you respond.

Winning your day starts with you. By thinking it out, following through and being supportive, you can have your best day, everyday!

#BeGoalden