From Excuses to Action

Is there a little voice in your head that stops you dead in your tracks? Let’s call this little voice the Excuse-Maker.  You know the one! Whenever you decide to tackle a healthy habit, the voice chirps about how there are a million other things to do…how you don’t have the time to do it perfectly so there’s no point in doing it at all…how your goal is so gigantic and the effort you can put in is so small that you might as well quit before you even start. Maybe your voice uses different words than these, but if you tend to excuse your way out of the healthy life you wish you were living, this post is for you.

By the time you’re done making excuses, you could have finished a warm-up, done a couple of one-minute planks, or lunged enough that your thighs would feel it tomorrow.

So, how do you go from excuses to action?

Strategy #1: Let it go. Take a deep breath and allow the voice to become quieter…fading into the distance…until you can’t hear it anymore. The more you allow the little voice to pollute your mind with negativity, the more that becomes your comfort zone. It feels familiar and strangely cozy, so you’ll end up revisiting it often…even though you know it’s not helping. Let it go and create space for something new.

Strategy #2: Think of the Excuse-Maker as a trigger for exercise. Whenever the voice starts up with its lamenting over how impossible it all is, do 25 body-weight squats or a one-minute plank. It’s definitely a start!

Strategy #3: If your Excuse-Maker is a little more stubborn, think of a come-back. “I can’t work out this week! There’s an event at work, I’m working late every day, the kids need my help in the morning, and nobody else is going to cook dinner…” Your come-back might be, “Oh yeah? Well, I can take a 30 minute walk at lunch tomorrow, and take the stairs on Friday.”

Strategy #4: Make it non-negotiable. Stop entertaining the debate all together and accept the importance of regular exercise into your heart & mind. We all know it’s the truth. They say you can pay the price now (by exercising), or pay it later (by being sick). Block it off in your calendar. Carve the time out for yourself because you deserve it.

It’s easy, common, and a fairly good indication that you’re a good ol’ fashioned stressed out human being if you dwell on obstacles. The next time you find yourself dwelling, interrupt that inner monologue and switch gears. How can you make it happen? Focus on solutions and step up to the life you want.

Take a look at my Relaxation podcasts here.