” I don’t have enough time’
” I don’t have the money”
” I am not smart/talented enough”
” Something came up ( or didn’t)”
” I don’t have the support”
” I don’t know where to start”
We all do it: these are the top six excuses most of us use to stop ourselves from following our greater health, wealth and dreams. Excuses limit us and prevent us from taking charge of the situation. If we can take responsibility, we can change the situation.
Excuses give us a justification for being passive and procrastinating. If you believe that something is outside of your control, you also believe that you can’t do anything to change it.
Would you like to try these tips to regain some control over your life?
1. Be assertive. Many of us are simply too passive to ever accomplish anything significant. Sometimes you have to declare what you want. Sometimes you have to say ‘no’ to others. You don’t have to be selfish, but there’s nothing wrong with making a decision and then making it happen.
2. Make a list of your 10 greatest strengths. Now think of ways that you can leverage them to your advantage. If you’re going to take back control of your life quickly, you’ll probably need your strengths to accomplish it.
3. It’s also worthwhile to think about your 10 greatest weaknesses. These are commonly the things that get us into trouble. What you can do to reduce the impact of your weaknesses?
4. Get more sleep.Most people simply don’t sleep enough to be at their best. Studies have shown that most people experience improved mood, clarity of thought, and increased energy if they increase their sleep by one hour per night. Turn off the TV and go to bed an hour earlier.
5. Do the most important things first. Spend the first hour or two each morning on the most important tasks you have for the day. Your focus and energy will be at their greatest.
6. Do it one step at a time. Focus on the one area of your life that will make the biggest difference. If you’re already making $1 million a year, making more money probably isn’t going to have a great impact on your life.
7. Forget about expectations. The whole world seems to tell us what we should be doing. What would you do if you were free of all of those expectations? Choose for yourself for a change.
8. Figure out what’s holding you back. Why aren’t you already living your life the way you choose? What’s preventing you? What are you afraid of? What can you do to work around these challenges? Develop a plan to get past this resistance.
Make the necessary changes. It’s time to do what needs to be done. Take action. Take that first step. My favorite man, Robin Sharma, says small daily improvements over time, lead to a stunning success.
