Reflections: "Your future is about the decisions you make—not the ideas you have. It’s causal rather than casual."

So... what was your excuse again? 

Eliminating excuses is important because your future is important.

If you only get the future that you work for, then what you work on is pretty important, right?

You probably don’t want to screw that up.

If there is a list of things to not flub, “your future” has to be high on the list.

Your decisions lead to your destiny.

Do you believe that?

You should. It’s true.

Sooner or later, what you do—and who you really are—determines what you ultimately achieve.

But what does that really mean?

Let’s get practical about it.

Let’s talk about how much sleep you really need and how a decision like that impacts your results.

Getting up earlier means you have more time to conquer the world.

Simply getting up one hour earlier a day for 50 years equates to an extra 2,281 business days—or 6 1/4 years—of conquest.

You win more when you fight more.

Your daily decisions—or the excuses you make—add up over time.

It’s easy to say that working hard is important.

We all know that, right?

But just because you say the words doesn’t mean you’re doing the “doing” part.

Your future is about the decisions you make—not the ideas you have.

It’s causal rather than casual.

You actually have a say in what you achieve.

We all want that extra 6 1/4 years of conquest.

But when we have a zillion minute-by-minute considerations just to decide whether to stay in bed or get up and conquer, most of us choose comfort.

It seems small at the time—after all, it’s just an hour.

But the results are life-changing.

Literally.

The decisions that you make hundreds of times a day build your future.

They all count.

So how can you change your future today?

Start by believing that you matter.

That what you do matters.

That what you do right now changes the possibilities for your future.

It’s a mindset.

An edgy mindset. 

It means that you:

Choose to be positive when things are scary.

Fight to win even when you just got the wind knocked out of you.

Are honest even if it means you’ll be embarrassed. 

Take the time to learn new skills, new talents and new ideas when it’s easier to just be you.

Invest in personal inspiration instead of letting anxiety drive your decisions.

The importance of eliminating excuses is in understanding the outcome of individual decisions.

Being positive 20 times a day for 15 years =109,500 opportunities to create a happier future.

Winning one more time per year could mean 30 amazing, mind blowing successes over a lifetime.

Telling the truth just one more time each day gives you 365 more reasons a year to trust yourself.

Reading one new book per week for 22 years equates to 1,144 new ideas from the smartest minds in the world.

Creating five new meaningful (in-person) relationships per month over 35 years is 2,100 new people you can count on when you really need help.

A lot of small choices make a big difference.

What if you had 109,500 happier moments, 30 more successes, 365 more ways to trust yourself, 1,144 new ideas and 2,100 new friends?

Could you conquer more?

Could you do some outrageous things?

Possibly. Probably.

You can bet on it.

So stop making excuses.