4 of 49 – Be Stronger Than Your Excuses

[progressally_objectives]

Exercise is important to me. I started competitive swimming at age 7. I played lots baseball and basketball. I ran track, rowed crew. I even toyed with archery.

In my late 30s, I took up running. I’ve run a handful of marathons and tackled a bunch of half marathons.

Now I’m a committed Orange Theory Fitness junkie. They give a rugged workout and hold me accountable so I bust my behind, intensely I might add, several times a week. Their slogan, “Be stronger than your excuses” comes up on their big screens after the workouts.

I don’t typically make excuses when it comes to working out. In other parts of my life, well…?

As I’m getting older, keeping my weight under control is getting tougher. My pants don’t button up like they used to. My excuse is, “I get so hungry because of the exercise.” Well, that can’t continue or I’ll be needing a new wardrobe soon. Then I’ll have to deal with the health downside of carrying around more weight.

It’s interesting to say, “Be stronger” when thinking about excuses. When it comes to excuses, I come up with some good ones.  I’m a creative web marketing type.  But what good is that doing me.

If I work to make a habit out of doing something I am not currently doing, that habit becomes ingrained. Then it’s the new “regular thing I do” and it’s the stronger thing that eliminates the excuse.

This day challenge itself is focused on forming a habit.  You commit yourself to doing something daily.  It’s a self-reflection, a meditation, something I do daily gets you to a better you.  You do it enough times consistently and, before you know it,  it becomes the new you.

With me running my own business these past few years, I’ve made up more excuses than I can count.  Who can deny that I don’t have enough hours in the day.   I have plenty of reasons why I don’t spend time with the people I love.  I have a lot of excuses for not spending quiet time in meditation and self-reflection.  I have good ways to explain why I’m eating more than I need to keep my weight down.  

Well now’s the time to take on that personal challenge and overcome that stupid thinking.   What permanent changes do you want to make.  What uncomfortable things will I take on so I force change upon myself?  It can surely happen because I’m sure you are stronger than you think you are.

Thought for the day:

What are the excuses we tell ourselves that keep us from the things we want for ourselves?