Let go of excuses

Excuses make it easy for other people to take advantage of you. There are plenty of people who will listen to your excuses and then make all sorts of promises to help you. They’ll convince you that you can eat everything you want, never exercise, and still lose weight, just by taking the pills they sell you. They’ll promise to make you financially independent without you having to do any work if you’ll just join their program. They’ll tell you they completely understand every excuse you can come up with, and will promise to show you some secret, never-before-revealed way to hold on to all those excuses and still create the life you desire. And of course, they won’t be able to follow through on any of their promises, but will instead rob you of your time and your money and your good faith.

Here’s a better idea. Let go of the excuses. Sure, they offer you the chance to pretend that your lack of results is not your fault. Sure they can be comforting for the moment, and provide you with a way to avoid dealing with the important issues in your life. But the problem is, when you invest in excuses the long-term payoff is not very pleasant or comfortable at all.

Instead of looking for an excuse, look instead for a first step. Make it into a habit. For any situation you can imagine — any challenge, any goal, any setback, any change in circumstances — there is always some step you can immediately take to establish a positive momentum. That first step will not solve all your problems. What it will do is get you going in the direction you wish to go. Your first step will most likely be small, and it probably won’t make much difference in the overall situation. Yet it will make a big difference in you. It will put you in control and put you into action. Just think of how much better that is than sitting around making excuses and wallowing in self pity. When you are tempted to come up with an excuse, come up instead with a first step. That will empower you to take the next step, and the next, and the next, until you do indeed achieve whatever you have decided to achieve.