The #1 Thing To Drop This Year

“I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse.” ~ Florence Nightingale

Do you know someone who really wants to do something differently this year but won't? And why could that be?

They might just have the perfect excuse.

They may even have perfect set of excuses that ever existed. Maybe he or she dreams to start a meaningful business but "now is not the right time". Maybe they want to make their health more of a priority but is, "too busy with work." Maybe they need to break off a crappy relationship but "is waiting until X happens" or thinks (after years of repetitive behaviour) the person "is going to change". Maybe you know someone who maximises any example of poor health to never get anything done. Maybe you are one of these people!

Excuses are not only completely disempowering, often false and even infuriating- they are the greatest preventer of growth, success and fulfilment. The definition of excuse is: "an attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify." The very definition is depressing! And we all know an excuse when we hear one.

Here are 5 reasons we need to stop defending and justifying our reasons for not improving our lives:

No-one cares (not even you)

At the end of our life, we will have results and experiences or excuses. The latter does not mean anything to anyone - not even us. And we secretly know it.

Excuses snowball & strengthen with time

Our minds are so powerful that whatever thoughts we allow to surface, we will find evidence to support their truth. The good news is - this is the same for confident and positive thoughts. Choose these!

Excuse mindset = lesser life

A life rich in excuse is poor in substance. Period. Who likes someone who is always full of excuses and desperate to explain the rationale for why they are not where or who they want to be? It's not attractive on any level.

Excuses create a reduced and inferior reality

Every time we repeat an excuse it affirms its strength and our fear is strengthened. We become paralysed. Over time, our excuses compound and we realize our life is totally unsatisfying.

Excuses attract more excuses

Like everything else, what we focus on expands. When our thoughts and words are self-defeating, we only generate more excuses as we have no choice - our behaviour negates any possibility for good outcomes and over time we justify more and more away. Unless kicked to the curb, our excuses increase to no end.

When evaluating your 2015 resolutions at the end of January - add on 1-2 excuses that you want to drop too. I am dropping my excuses that I am missing the "enjoy exercise" gene (sometimes I actually do like it) and that, as a creative people person I am not good at creating business systems and structures. Perhaps I am a highly functioning systematic machine who is a secret running addict (well, probably not!), but I am neither of these things will get easier for more the more frequently I repeat my excuses. Meditate on this for a moment - how do my excuses serve me? What would happen if I eradicated them?

Now tell me, what excuse will you drop this year?

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