6 Simple Steps to Eliminate Excuses

Fear is what fuels excuses. We start making excuses when we are afraid how someone will react to something we say or do. Maybe you say you’re “busy” when a friend asks you out for drinks, or maybe you say “I don’t know how to…” when you haven’t even tried. We all make excuses once in a while, here’s how to stop with the excuses already.

Practice honesty. The first thing to know is that an excuse is nothing more than a lie. The more you make excuses, the easier it gets. Lying, like most everything else, becomes easier the more you do it. But so does telling the truth. Practice telling people the truth all of the time. If you don’t want to go out with a friend, don’t lie. Tell the truth. Wouldn’t YOU appreciate your friends telling you the truth?Prioritize. Use your talent, time, and resources doing things that are important and meaningful for you. Stop saying yes to doing things that you don’t like doing. If the person or project doesn’t excite you or make you happy, then don’t waste your time. If there are people in your life who are draining your energy, then don’t give them yours. Make a list of what is important to you and do things toward that end. If spending time with family is a priority, then take steps to prove it.Set realistic goals. Personal excuses pop up when a deadline goes rushing past and you have not finished the project. Whether your goal is to exercise, finish a project, or simply drink more water, you should set realistic goals for yourself. Nobody likes to feel like a failure, so when a goal isn’t met we make an excuse. “I’m too busy with the kids to exercise.” No you aren’t. Take the kids with you. Exercise at home with them. Exercise while they are at school or napping. I used to work out on my lunch break because I knew I wouldn’t do it after work. Tell yourself to exercise for thirty minutes each day, and work on that project for at least fifteen minutes a day. Setting small, easy to achieve goals makes cutting out excises a lot easier.Stop procrastinating. Procrastination is just another word for excuse. Let “now” be your buzz word. If the dishes need to be done, DO THEM NOW. You won’t have to make an excuse if the task is finished. Doesn’t procrastinating make you feel worse? You know you have things to get done, you just don’t want to do them. Just get it over with. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment after, and you won’t spend the rest of your day worrying about doing the dishes.Be positive. It is easy to say “Be positive!” to people, but it is a lot harder in practice. You might wake up in a great mood, but by the time you get to work that mood is nothing but a distant memory. Don’t let the weather or traffic ruin your day, or your mood. If you find yourself hating the world, take a deep breath and think about a kitten. It’ll make you smile. And, smiling is one a many ways to turn your black mood into a bright, shiny one.Be nice to yourself. One of the sneakiest ways excuses creep in is “self talk”. Self talk is the way you think about yourself, or even talk about yourself to others. The way you view a task, and the way you view your own ability to conquer that task has a direct impact on your ability to actually complete it. If you approach a project thinking it is too difficult, or that you are not good enough, then chances are you won’t do it. The good news is that once you become aware of how you are talking to yourself, you can stop. Each time you hear yourself using doubt as an excuse, stop. Change your mental dialog into something positive, and you will become something positive.

Here are 8 simple tips for eliminating excuses when starting an online business around your passion: 8 Simple Tips for Eliminating Excuses When Starting an Online Business Around Your Passion

Featured photo credit: Excuse me!via Shutterstock

Alicia is a freelance writer, singer, painter, traveler, teacher, and Karaoke Queen. She writes about cultivating happiness through mindfulness, and Minimalism on her own blog: American Vagabond. She's a frequent contributor to Gumshoeblog.org, and hopes one day to write a book about her travels.

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5 Excuses To Throw an Awesome Party This Summer

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8 Simple Tips for Eliminating Excuses When Starting an Online Business Around Your Passion

Everyone wants to get paid to do what they love.

But not everyone is ready to make it happen.

Excuses are everywhere. They can take control of your life unless you transcend them.

You hear people whine, complain, and justify why they can’t do something, but in the end, there’s no one holding them back, except themselves.

There’s nothing you need. And there’s no one you have to be in order to begin your journey. No matter what you think is holding you back, you can start.

Here are 8 simple tips for eliminating excuses when starting an online business around your passion:

The simplest and most neglected tip is the cold hard truth. Look at your life. Look at how your excuses are holding you back.

Are your excuses really stopping you, or are you stopping yourself? You may be afraid. You may have your reasons. But is this the path you want to be on?

Imagine sitting on your deathbed and looking back. What would you have done differently today if you could go back?

You can take action despite your excuses.

I make a living doing what I love. I still have excuses every single day. I could give up, but I don’t.

I refuse to settle for a life I know won’t fulfill me. Often, when I take action, my excuses disappear.

They’re only there for a brief moment before I start. It’s getting started that’s the hard part.

Look for proof to the contrary.

If you think you’re not good enough, look for evidence of where you are good enough. Excuses are never rock-solid. They are made up, so they can be dissolved.

It all comes down to how badly you want to start an online business around your passion.

It’s not going to happen overnight, but it is worth the work.

There comes a point where you’re so sick of making excuses that you’ve had enough.

This happened to me just before I started doing what I’m truly passionate about. I was making excuses. I wasn’t living up to my potential.

But one day I’d had enough, and I just started. I didn’t know what I was doing, or if it was going to work, but I was going to try anyway.

The source of all excuses is fear.

Instead of focusing on why you can’t do something, focus on what will happen if you keep making excuses.

What will your life look like 5, 10, or even 20 years from now if you let your excuses stop you from truly following your inner calling?

Think about what your life will look like if you said goodbye bye to your excuses and pursued your dreams.

A more Zen-like way to eliminate your excuses is to stay present with each excuse. When an excuse comes up, notice it, breathe, and let it be.

Don’t analyze, try to figure it out, or try to get rid of it. Just let the excuse do its thing. Observe it with the same fascination as if you were to see a panda on a walk in the woods.

Each excuse is a thought, and you are not your thoughts. How could you be? You couldn’t be aware of your thoughts if you were your thoughts. You are the awareness behind your thoughts.

You don’t have to give your excuses power. Instead, focus on your breathing.

Shift your perspective from seeing the world as hostile, to seeing it as an adventure, because that is what life really is.

You’re on this planet to experience life, to face challenges, and grow as a human being. It’s through challenges that you evolve.

We aren’t made to settle for mediocrity. We’re made to constantly evolve.

Last, but not least, you have to take responsibility for your life.

If you want to build a business around your passion, only you can make it happen. No one is going to do it for you.

There will be no red carpet. The stars won’t align. And no magic solution will appear.

Start with what you have, and start now.

You can do this, if you truly want to.

If there’s anything I’ve that I have learned from making a living online, it’s that success is not an overnight thing.

It takes time. It’s a struggle, but it’s all worth it.

If you don’t know where to start, find someone you trust and learn from them.

Let your excuses pass you by. You don’t have to give power to them. Let them go, and start moving toward the goals that both scare you and excite you.

Fulfillment awaits.

Are you ready?

Featured photo credit: Cute young girl sitting in an egg chair via Shutterstock

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5 Excuses that Keep You Unhealthy (and How to Destroy Them)

Each and every one of us, as a human being, is hardwired to choose the path of least resistance. We’re programmed to conserve energy for when we might need it and to avoid risk wherever possible, because that’s what it took for our ancestors to survive (and reproduce) in a world full of unknown dangers.

Today, it’s why the status quo — tested, predictable, familiar — is so comfortable. And it’s why we find change so difficult, even when our very lives depend on changing.

I’m referring, of course, to our health.

As Steven Pressfield and Seth Godin have so gracefully written, we procrastinate because somewhere deep down, we’re afraid to start. The resistance, or lizard brain, will fight tooth and nail to keep us right where we are. Because change is risky, and where we are is safe.

But when it comes to health, where we are isn’t safe. Known, sure. But not safe.

The excuses we use to justify one more pack of cigarettes, one more TV show, or another quick spin through the drive-through window (it’s convenient, and I had a rough day) are the tools of this fear. What we say to distract ourselves, to make it feel alright for now, is nothing more than a smokescreen.

It’s time to cut through the haze. What follows is a list of five of the most common, most debilitating excuses and fears that keep people unhealthy and powerless to change. Find the one that’s holding you back, and see it for the sham that it is.

1. “Before I can start, I’ve got to plan.”

Sure, planning is important. But right now, it’s just procrastination.

You know how it goes: “Before I start, I need to get workout clothes that fit. And shoes. And join a gym. And load some new songs on my iPod. Then I’ll get a meal plan and go shopping, and I’ll be ready to start!”

Maybe you do need all that stuff. But first, just start.

It’s easy: go outside and start walking or get on your bike. Go in one direction for just five minutes — fast when you want, slow when you want. Enjoy yourself — play — then turn around and come home. Do it again the next day, and the day after that, feeling free to gradually do more as your body allows you to.

Build some momentum by doing something small every day. Then, and only then, should you think about planning.

2. “I’m so out of shape, it’s overwhelming to think about getting healthy.”

Right now, don’t focus on getting in shape. The important thing is to take the first step.

Look at it as an experiment: commit to eating well or exercising for just one week, to see how it goes. Be curious and be playful, but really commit to it: set some ground rules, tell other people about it, and don’t cheat.

Forget any long-term health goals right now. Just take note of how you feel, paying particular attention to your mood and mindset — that’s where the changes will show up first.

When the time is up, congratulate yourself for sticking with it. If at this point you’re not excited to keep going, you can stop without feeling guilty and change your approach.

But maybe you feel lighter. More energetic. Happier. These incremental benefits are immediate, no matter how far away you are from whatever your ideal is.

So what would happen if you did this again for two weeks, or 30 days? Try it again, with the same strong commitment, and evaluate again when you reach the end.

The great thing about this approach is that it shifts the focus to the process, not the outcome, and at the same time prevents you from ever feeling like you’re locked into something that you don’t enjoy.

3. “I don’t know how to cook, nor do I have time for it.”

I believe you. You don’t have two hours each night to spend preparing a gourmet meal for your family, nor are you a master of matching flavors and textures to create beautiful, perfect dishes that are also healthy.

But I bet you can follow instructions. Find five minutes to search this site and others for simple recipes. Many won’t take you even half an hour to prepare.

Here are just a few examples of delicious, nutritious meals that don’t take much active time to make:

SmoothiesBeans and riceA grain, a green, and a beanSoupSlow cooker stews

Look at cooking as an opportunity to work with your hands and to be present in the moment, focusing on that one thing only.

Enjoy the smells, the textures, the process. The occasional Sunday when I spend three hours in the kitchen making pasta or vegetable lasagna from scratch is the most meditative time of my entire week.

4. “People will laugh at me when I exercise because I’m out of shape.”

A few might laugh. They’ll do so because of some insecurity of their own. But most people are so distracted and focused on their own lives that they won’t even notice you.

Of those who do pay attention to you, the vast majority will be inspired, and they will envy your determination. No joke.

Five-million-plus people watch The Biggest Loser each week. Are they doing it for laughs? No, they watch because it motivates them, even if they never take action.

When people see you working hard to get in shape, it reminds them that somewhere, they’ve got that fight in them too. Without realizing it, even if you’re doing this only for yourself, you become a leader by example. People are drawn to that.

I know, it feels like everyone’s watching you, judging you. But trust me: inside, they’re cheering for you.

5. “I’d like to exercise with a group or class, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up.”

The quickest way to get better at something is to hang around people who are getting the results that you want. (You’ve heard it before, right? If you want to know your weight, add up your five closest friends’ weights, divide by five, and you probably won’t be far off.)

But with groups comes the fear of being “the weak one.” The one who can’t keep up, the one holding everyone else back. Most of us have been there at some time, and it’s no fun.

So how do you get past this fear?

Accept it and face it. Let the group know, beforehand, that you think you might have trouble keeping up. Tell them that if they need to go ahead, you won’t be offended, you’re just thrilled to work out with them and learn from them.

With that, it’s out in the open, no longer something to be ashamed of. Gone are the pain and potential injury of pushing yourself too hard in attempt to avoid embarrassment. And it probably won’t be long until you’re helping someone else who is new and afraid.

Go

The time to take that first step is today. If a flaw in your excuse has been exposed, take advantage of it now, before your fear can come up with a better one.

Getting yourself to start is the hardest part. As you begin to experience results and your new habits are reinforced, it becomes easy. You’ll discover that the more energy you use, the more you have, and being healthy is actually really fun.

Sure, it’s possible that you’ll stumble at first. Getting in shape isn’t as easy as watching TV, or eating whatever you want. But that’s okay.

The trick isn’t to never fall down, it’s to never stay down. When you mess up, use it as an opportunity to adapt and improve, not as a reason to quit.

And when the excuses crop up, step back, smile to yourself, and see them for what they are — a last-ditch effort by the old you, the comfortable, change-fearing you, to go back to the way things used to be.

Stop believing your excuses. Start.

Matt Frazier helps people discover their inner athlete and the simplicity of a plant-based diet. Get fitness tips and healthy recipes at his blog, No Meat Athlete, or sign up for his free series on getting started with plant-based fitness.

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Start a New Business with a No Excuses Approach

January is an amazing time to starting thinking about what you want in life. It’s fun and exciting to dream about how awesome a new year will be. You set goals, you get excited…

Then the excuses set in.

“The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.” ~Author Unknown

If one of your goals this year is to really start the business you have been wanting to start, these might be some of the excuses:

“I don’t have time.”

“I don’t have enough money.”

“I don’t know what to do!”

In the 50 millionaires I interviewed last year, I found a common theme. They have a No Excuses Approach. That doesn’t mean they don’t have any excuses. They do. But they don’t let their excuses stop them from getting something they want.

So if you truly want to make 2012 the year you kick butt and take names – You need to get rid of the excuses. So here are some reasons for the excuses and how to get past them.

Fear is a basic survival mechanism. When ever we don’t know the outcome,  fear comes to the forefront of our minds. That’s when we make excuses so we don’t have to move forward. Get over your fear with these tips.

How difficult or long you think the task is really matters in what you accomplish. Based on coaching many clients, most people have A to Z thinking when it comes to starting new projects. They know they are at the beginning right now (A), but they want to know every letter in between A and Z before they start.

Because that is extremely difficult to know, the “it’s” can turn into excuses.

“I really need to know how I’m going to market the book I want to write. Even though I haven’t written it yet.” – Person who then proceeds to listen to the latest podcast on book marketing, but still doesn’t start the book

It keeps us from even taking the first step!

If you think you will die if you try public speaking, then you won’t ever do it. Instead (to satisfy our ego) we decide to make excuses. It’s easier than changing our beliefs, but it leads to a life filled with excuses. If you believe you can do it, no matter what, you will not let an excuse stop you.

Instead find and replace your limiting beliefs.

You don’t necessarily need to which reason is behind the excuse to move past it. Here is what you can do:
Recognize Them

The better you are at being honest and recognizing them as excuses the easier it will be to discount them and counteract them. If you don’t notice them, ask a friend to stop you every time you give an excuse. It brings a lot of awareness to your excuses! (I know from experience.)

Logically Counteract Them

Here are a few common excuses, plus an article for each to help you counteract them:

Take Immediate Action

Then take immediate action. Choose the first step that you can do and do it. Derek Sivers told me the following:

“Whatever scares you, go do it because then it won’t scare you anymore. With almost anything once you do it, it’s not as scary as you thought it was.”

Rinse and Repeat

Even if you get rid of one excuse another may pop up. Be diligent in recognizing them and moving anyway!

This year, stay motivated and excited. Don’t give your excuses your energy. They are only a small bump in the road. Try these techniques and have an amazing year!

“We will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal

(Photo credit: Businessman Jumping a Gap via Shutterstock)

After paying off $70,000 and quitting her corporate job, Jaime started her own business. Four years later she has been on CNN, MSNMoney, Success Magazine, Fortune, Yahoo's homepage twice and more. She is a business coach and speaker plus she interviews self made millionaires weekly for their tips, advice and stories. Sign up for her free webinar series on getting past "I don't have enough time!" with actionable steps you can take during the webinar.

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