What Excuse is Holding You Back This Year?
By: Dr. Peggy Malone
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”
I don’t usually include profanity when I’m passing on bits of motivation, but something about this quote speaks to me every time I see it and I know there are more people out there than just me who need to hear it.
This is especially relevant when we are just over a week into the new year and many people are focusing on New Years Resolutions or health goals for the coming year.
Maybe you haven’t made any goals for 2013 for your health or for any area of your life. If not… why not?
Whether it’s a goal to get fit, quit smoking, lose weight, eat healthier, make more money, mend a relationship, run a certain race, get past an injury, start a business, or any other goal you have been working toward…
…for many people, the excuses and stories we tell ourselves are what keep us from achieving the things we dream about.
Do you remember a time in your life when anything and everything was possible?
What do you think happens to people as they grow up and they leave some of their dreams behind and ‘settle’ for what life deals them?
We are the great justifiers, the great excuse makers.
- “It’s not the right time”
- “I need to have more money to do that”
- “I don’t know how to do that”
- “I’m not smart enough for that”
- “I’m too old for that”
- “I’m not experienced enough to do that”
- “When the kids are older, I’ll do that”
- “When the economy is better, I’ll try that”
- “It’s not meant to be because it hasn’t happened”
- “That will take too much time”
- “I could never do that”
- “I don’t have any support and so I couldn’t do it”
- “No one believes in me so I can’t make that happen”
- “Only people with connections can do that”
- “There’s no way people would want to listen to what I have to say”
- “It’s too hard”
- “I’ll start tomorrow”
- “I’ll give it a try next week/month/year”
- “I’ll wait until January 1st”
- “I’ll wait until NEXT January 1st”
- “My husband/wife doesn’t want to do it so that means that I can’t do it.”
- “The government doesn’t make it easy for me to make a change and so I can’t do it.”
- “The insurance company doesn’t pay for it so I can’t do it.”
- “My parents taught me that this is the way things are so why would I do something different?”
Have you ever found yourself saying any of these things in your own head to justify staying where you are?
It’s a hard truth to face when you look at this list and realize this is the list of excuses you have been hiding behind for maybe years instead of going after what you want.
How about you? Did you need a reminder to put away your excuses and go after your dreams?
What are you going to do today that is different than what you have been doing that will take you one step closer to your goal?
Come and say hello on my Facebook wall and let me know what your number one health goal is for this coming year. Building in a simple layer of accountability like this is the first step on the path toward your next goal!!
Enjoy!
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