Stop making excuses! Do you ever say that to yourself? I know I do at times!

Do these sound familiar?

I can't do that.

I'm too old. (Or too young, fat, thin, etc...)

I'm tired.

I don't have the money to do that.

I don't have anyone to watch my kids.

That's too far away.

That's too tough to do. (Or to understand.)

Excuses are often this planned out stories of what we tell ourselves about why we can fail at what we are attempting. Maybe it's just a reason to not do something...lose weight, not complete that class, not run that 5K.

Yes, this is true sabotage of creating success. Sometimes it is when we are closest to our goal that we start making excuses and start accepting our own excuses. Sometimes we can even create these elaborate stories for ourselves!

For a long time, I had created this long list of excuses for myself why I couldn't lose weight. These were just a few of my stories I told myself:

I had 2 babies.

I never did like to run.

I like to eat, I'm a eater!

I'm a girl, it's tougher for us.

And my personal favorite,

I'm big boned.

Sometimes our stories are so detailed, so elaborate that we honestly believe them and they become our limiting beliefs.

Often are excuses are because we don't want to come right out and say what we want.

So when we make excuses to not to go to a baby shower, wedding, or an evening out with friends. So often we just don't want to come right out and say, "No thanks."

stop making excuses

How To Stop Making Excuses

How do you stop making excuses? One word...

...ACTION!

With action, moving toward your goal, is the one antidote for excuses. It is tough to make an excuse when you are in motion!

When faced with the idea of making an excuse or doing something, always chose to act. Excuses are our attempt at planning to fail. Action will squelch it.

I love the Burn the Boats story! It tells of Cortez and his unwillingness to fail.

In February 1519, Hernando Cortez set sail on the final leg of an ocean voyage that was to take him from Cuba to the distant shores of the Yucatan.

He commanded 11 ships with more than 500 soldiers, 100 sailors, and 16 horses, bound for Mexico to take the world's greatest treasure. The rare jewels, gold, silver, and sculptures sheltered on the Yucatan had been hoarded by the same army for 600 years.

Cortez he had heard of riches of the people. With his men they arrived on shore. They did not go and take the treasure, they waited until they were ready. Then Cortez told his men to burn their boats. The men were outraged wondering how they were going to get back to their families. Cortez told them to burn the boats and they would conquer the Yucatan people and gain their fortune. They would take their boats home.

Stop making excuses! Be greater than your excuse. You deserve it!

Tammi Putnam