Stop Making Excuses!
Stop Making Excuses
If you are a parent, you probably tell your kids this (or at least I hope you do) more than you want to! If you watch the news (fake or real), you have seen old newscasters criticize the younger generations for not taking responsibility and MAKING EXCUSES! If you think about it, we all make excuses. In fact, we are really good at it. Some of us are professionals! I know I am.
I go to the gym almost every morning at 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. I know, most of you don’t even have those numbers on your clock. I started a little over two years ago doing this nearly every day of the year. In fact, last year one of my New Year’s resolutions was to only miss 21 days in the gym. I know… a little obsessive and weird. Why? I got sick of my excuses. I wanted to get healthy. The gym is my daily therapy to clear my head. I already get up early and I always try to figure out what to do not to wake up my family. And I set some goals for “gainz”—to be in the best shape of my life. I achieved every one of my goals even forcing myself to miss 21 days (although that was hard). I appreciate people who held me accountable, encouraged me, made fun of me for going, which only made me more determined (I know I am not right), and random strangers asking what I am doing to take care of myself. All of these helped me to overcome my excuses.
Many mornings I woke up and could not to go back to sleep, but definitely didn’t want to go to the gym, but I reminded myself--NO EXCUSES. When you go to the gym and see the same people every morning that you have created some awkward gym friendships with, where we all greet each other with nods and hellos in what most people would call “the middle of the night” actually encouraged me in some weird way. If they “skipped” a few days or were on vacation, the next time I saw them I would provide accountability by asking where they had been. And they definitely did the same thing for me. After explaining I had to at least skip 21 days they looked at me like I was a freak and walked off (personally, I think they were jealous).
There are many people at the gym who have encouraged and inspired me, but Jim and Margret (in the picture above with me) have been the ultimate inspiration. They are at the gym 5 days a week at 4:30 a.m. like clockwork. Jim is in his 80s and Margret in her 70s (You go, Jim!) and they work out and do cardio like they are training for the “Senior Classic” body building show. Jim goes from station to station with his walker and Margret has a trainer to help encourage her and probably (although I am not for sure) take away some of the excuses.
Every time I start thinking about skipping a day (except for my 21 FREE skip days), I think of Jim and Margret. “If they can do it, so can I.” We all need people like Jim and Margret in our lives that spur us on towards excellence, to finish the race, to give our best, to help us finish well. However, it is interesting how willing we are to ask people or even hire people to do that in our lives for our physical fitness or for dietary needs or even someone to come alongside of us to train us corporately. We might follow a blog for parenting or maybe have a daily reading plan in our app to read the Bible, but when it comes to allowing people to come alongside of us emotionally in our lives, we are pretty reluctant. It took me over 20 years after the child abuse in my life before I crawled kicking and screaming into a counselor’s office to admit I could not do it by myself. This was after destroying several areas of my life and trying to figure out how I could screw up a few more. It would be years later that I would ever DARE to SHARE my pain and brokenness with a “regular” person and not a professional who I was paying to keep my secret.
Years later I still need help and get this—I always will! Why? Because I am awesome at making excuses! I act this way because… I did that because… Oh, that part of my personality that is whack, that is because… EXCUSES, every damn one of them. Sorry if the word DAMN offends you but my excuses and lack of discipline continue to piss me off. I hate this about myself and I am glad I hate it! How bad does it have to feel before you change? I hope you can feel my frustration; in fact, I might have broken my keyboard I am typing so hard right now. Seems like every time I take one step forward in my life in these areas, I will turn around and take three steps back. Most of the time I try really hard, but at times (several of them lately) I honestly get SICK of trying. I want to quit! Throw in the towel! Just settle for whoever I am! So guess what I do? You already know! Say it! Or at least say it while you read it—I MAKE FREAKING EXCUSES. I need a Jim and Margret in this area of my life. I hired help to help me in the gym. I hired a nutritionist to help me trick my metabolism to get better results. I go to conferences, webinars, etc. to be better at my trade (jury’s still out on whether it is working). Why, why, why can’t I/we put people in our lives that will walk with us through life that we can receive and allow honesty from as they speak into our lives? Why (especially in America) do we feel weakness is remaining silent and therefore staying broken? Why do I continue to make excuse after excuse in critical areas of my life that affect so many others? Fear? Insecurities? Pride? Laziness? Exhaustion? I honestly don’t know most days, but I do know I am not alone!
I hope that in EVERY area of my life I can grow and get the ‘Gainz’ that will help me be strong emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually strong. I do know the only way it will ever happen for me is to STOP MAKING EXCUSES! To drive another stake in the ground (I have dozens of them that I have placed in my life for dozens of issues) saying enough is enough. In fact, one of my favorite movies of recent was “The Greatest Showman” (let the jokes incur) and one of my favorite songs of that movie was “From Now On.” The opening verse and chorus are:
I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind
Blow cold
A man learns who is there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold
Cause from then, rubble
One remains
Can only be what's true
If all was lost
Is more I gain
‘Cause it led me back
To you
From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
FROM NOW ON, NO MORE EXCUSES! Start today! Don’t go back! Move forward!
If you struggle with this, know that you are not alone and let me encourage you to take a risk, trust someone to share it with. Be transparent so other people can know the real you! And if I can help you or your team in this area I would love to and share the successes and failures and difference this can make in your team and most importantly YOU!