Minisode 007 – Excuses are for losers

How to really achieve what you want


Excuses are for losers.  You’re trying to get into a new morning exercise routine.  You set the alarm the night before and your intentions are pure.  It matters to you. But when the alarm goes off your bed feels so warm and comfy so you hit the snooze button. Or you tell yourself that you didn’t sleep well last night, it’s best you get and other hour now.

You’re trying to cut back on wine or beers through the week but then Wednesday night comes around and you convince yourself that it’s been a stressful few days. Just one or two won’t hurt..  Then you think of all the people you know who have a glass or two every night and you give yourself the go ahead.

We make all sorts of promises to ourselves and often follow them up with excuses.  Promises are important. We all know that. But it’s the promises we make to ourselves that are the most important of all.  When we break those promises we are really good at dreaming up excuses to go with them and worse still we play all sorts of mind tricks to convince ourselves that they’re real.

I want to share with you a very blunt truth about the world.  Excuses are for losers. Once you accept that, once you believe it in your core, and live it, you can make incredible things happen in your life.  Hitting the snooze button, having that one piece of cake, skipping the gym after work or cancelling dinner with our friend. Too often we exchange short term satisfaction for long term fulfillment.

Unless you’re a Buddhist monk, it’s unrealistic to aim for the perfect life, a life with no vice, a life of impeccable discipline. It sets us up for failure.  Instead you must pick the most important things. Maybe 1 or 2 from each of the major domains something about your health, something to do with personal or professional growth, something to do with your relationships  and put them in your no excuse zone.

Be specific. Write a clear statement of the habit you want to create and then pursue it relentlessly.

So what do you yearn for?  What is so important to you and your sense of long term fulfillment that is must live in your excuse free zone?  Stop trading long term fulfillment for short term satisfaction. Hone in on what’s important and remember that excuses are for losers.

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