It’s really easy to make excuses for things we don’t really want to do. Except then we will never get anything done. Excuses are all around us and I’m sure you have made a ton of them, I know I definitely have. In fact, think about the last week or so, how many times did you make an excuse so you didn’t have to do something? Sometimes it just seems easier to push it off than to actually put in the work. In this post I am going to be real with you and show you how to kick those excuses to the curb.
When we start talking about health and wellness, it seems like excuses are always part of the conversation. We start off on this journey to get healthier and once it starts getting hard, we reach for all the reasons why we need to skip a workout or start again on Monday. Sound familiar? I know for myself it definitely does. After having my first son, I remember starting to go back to the gym. It was hard and I was tired and I would come up with all sorts of excuses. All those excuses did for me was push back my progress. Even worse it could have made me quit.
Looking back now I am so glad I didn’t let those excuses hold me back and I want the same for you. I want you to be able to move past them and reach the goals you set out to reach.
It’s Time To Take Action
If you really want to stop making excuses you have to start by catching yourself making them. You can’t change something unless you are intentional about it. Stop to think for a minute. What are your goals, what is it that you are trying to do? Now think about what is holding you back from reaching them.
Some common excuses I hear people making are that they are tired, they don’t have enough time, they’re busy, or they don’t know where to start. They are pretty universal and fit with most goals people try to make. All of these may actually be valid. You could very well be tired or super busy. But if you actually want to accomplish your goals then you are going to have to identify how you are feeling and take the action to do the task anyway.
The next time you catch yourself making an excuse try to stop yourself and ask will this help me accomplish my goal. If it’s no, then you need to push through the excuse and get it done.
Let’s Make A Change
Now that we have figured out what excuses we are making we have to figure out why we are making them. Sometimes when we find ourselves making excuses it has to do with the fact that our goal seems too far away. We are really good at setting grand goals, which is fantastic. The problem with this is they usually take a long time to accomplish. And when it takes a long time we get discouraged and feel like we are never going to get there. As a result we start making excuses and then slowly quit.
You need to figure out why you are making your excuses. Is it that you think the goal is going to take too long? Are you getting discouraged or maybe it’s just too big? There is nothing wrong with having any of these feelings, in fact they are really common. Sometimes you will find just making small adjustments will help you with your excuses. It can be something really simple, like trying a new fitness class or a new diet.
If you make small changes and still find yourself making excuses I want you to ask yourself what are the consequences of your excuses. For example, if your goal is to get in better shape and you keep making excuses why you can’t get to the gym, what will happen? You won’t get in better shape and it could affect your health. Are your excuses worth those consequences?
Getting Past Them
We have found the excuses we are making, we figured out why we are making those excuses, so now we need to figure out how to get past them. I put together some of the best things I did when I found myself making excuses in hopes that they will help you also!
Little reminders had the biggest effect. Going to the gym was where I made most of my excuses. To help this I would set out my workout clothes on the dresser so when I got home I saw them. You could even change into your workout clothes before you get home. I found having the visual reminder of my clothes reminded me that I set a goal for myself and I needed to get it done. Another reminder I had was to set alarms on my phone that would remind me of my goals. I would change the labels of the alarms to send reminders of why I wanted to go to the gym and why it was important.
Breaking the habit of making excuses is something that is going to take time, but it is worth it. When we really want to reach our goals we have to work past all the hurdles and start showing up even when we don’t want to. Sometimes we just have to look deep inside and figure out the reason we are making excuses and adjust from there. It might not be fun but it will be worth it!
Building healthy habits is a great way to help tackle those excuses! Want to learn more? Check out Episode 6 of The Coffee Donuts Fitness Podcast!
