I’m trying something completely new these days – it’s to stop making excuses. When was the last time you tried that? Have you ever?

Full disclosure, I actually started writing this post two weeks ago when I was all hyped on choosing myself, then I defaulted back to my usual “choose everything but myself” mode. So, I’m finishing writing this just as much to kick myself in the butt as I am to kick yours.

Which of the following justifications to keep doing nothing about your health sound familiar to you?

• I don’t have enough time to exercise
• I’m too tired to exercise
• There’s no gym convenient enough to go to
• I haven’t been feeling well lately

Guilty as charged, right? I’ve been guilty of these ever since I became a parent. All of these and more, such as, “I can’t figure out how to work out in the short 30 minutes a day I have to spare because I used to go to the gym for two hours a day.”

Guess what? Whenever excuses come out of our mouths, we become completely naked to whoever we’re bullshitting. Like the Emperor With No Clothes. Remember that guy? It took a very candid child to call him out. I’m calling you out (ok, us out). Just stop making excuses. You’re a really intelligent person who has managed to jump over bigger hurdles than this in life, so you can do this.

After the mortifying experience of having to buy new pants in a larger size, I decided to stop. Here’s how I ripped through my own obstacles:

• Not enough time to work out? Find the time. I started going during my lunch hour. That 5 days x 30 minutes is 150 more minutes of exercise per week than I was getting before.
• I’m too tired to exercise. Too bad. I push through it anyway. It helps us to sleep better in the long run.
• There’s no gym close enough. Workout outside, find a home workout book or video or do what I did – I approached the hotel next door to my office to ask if they’d sell me a gym membership. They agreed. The facilities are smaller and less equipped than I’m used to, but it’s better equipment than I was using before, which was nothing. This is also a great opportunity to learn to get creative with workouts.
• Haven’t been feeling well lately? I’d be willing to bet a lot of money that this will change as soon as you stop making excuses and start taking care if yourself.

This “stop making excuses” diet can be applied to everything you want in life – finding supplementary income, finding a new job, starting a new business, leaving your miserable relationship, reading more books, taking a class, saving money, and our lists are endless. Start with your health though because the benefits to your confidence, energy, physical health, mental health and sleep patterns are incredible and all if which are the foundation for each one of your aspirations.

We’re all only one excuse away from dying an unfulfilled life. Every time you catch yourself making an excuse, flush it, then replace that with a list of solutions and implement them immediately.

Visualize defaulting to solutions instead of excuses. Imagine CHANELLING all of the ENERGY you burn making excuses towards your HEALTH instead. Your load just got a lot lighter. Powerful, isn’t it?

Don’t hesitate to contact me to be your free accountability partner and your official excuse assassin.