5 Excuses We Use To Give Up

Photo by medoriastar on Flickr

I think we all have the best intentions. I think we all have it within ourselves to stay on the path to a more fulfilling and healthy lifestyle. It is no hyperbole to say that we can achieve almost anything we put our minds to. But sometimes the biggest obstacles we face aren't really that big at all.

People, here is the real enemy: excuses.

5. It won't matter anyway because the world's probably going to end.
Hand to God, I've used this many times, moreso with it being 2012. Why kill myself trying to achieve some lasting legacy when global warming will probably turn New York into a fishbowl? Or try to invest in anything (life insurance, good teeth, stocks) when a meteor could wipe out life as we know it at any time?

The Media really does a great job, apocalyptic movie after apocalyptic movie, to reinforce these fears...fears that, honestly, I cannot say are 100% irrational. Yes, something bad, literally Earth-shaking, could happen, at any time. But it also may not happen. More importantly, what we really get out of pursuing the goal are all the life experiences and knowledge we gain along the way -- not the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box.

4. Probably nothing bad will happen to me if I don't do these things I'm "supposed" to do.
This one kind of seems like the paradoxical opposite of the last one. I was talking before about losing dread and fear of the future...now I'm promoting it?

Well, say your doctor tells you you're going to get sick if you don't stop smoking. You really try hard to quit, but then one day you convince yourself that you will be the magic person not to get emphysema or cancer from long-term cigarette use. You think of a story you heard about this guy who lived to be 90 and smoked three packs a day. And so you bet that you'll get lucky...that maybe these warnings are blown all out of proportion anyway just to sell products.

But the motivation to get healthy should not resemble a "thou shalt" complete with Biblical fire and brimstone for "sinners." You should strive to lose weight, reduce stress, and eat healthy because it makes you feel good. If you're not doing it for that reason, you are most likely not going to succeed. Good habits and lasting change are born of love, not fear.

3. If I change, probably everything else will change...and I'm scared of change.
I think we sometimes hold ourselves back because we're afraid not of change within ourselves, but the possible change that might happen as a result in our immediate environment. Will losing weight put distance between you and your spouse? Will radically changing your occupation alienate your parents? If you stop drinking alcohol, will you lose your gang of friends (who all hang out at the bar)?

Look, change is going to beget change. It can't be helped. As you change and travel further along the path to wellness, your energy is going to literally change -- become lighter and travel at a higher frequency. But that does not mean the people around you are guaranteed to react negatively. Some might...but if they have a problem with you getting healthier or more self-actualized, do you really want them in your life?

More likely, you might inspire loved ones and colleagues to make positive changes in their own lives. Take the courage to be a role model!

2. I'll probably fail anyway. I always do.
That's crap, but you'd be surprised at how reasonable it can sometimes sound (especially when you're already in the dumps)! It's not possible that you've always failed...surely if you take a moment you can list at least 4 major achievements in your life. But it's funny how the failures always stick around at the forefront of your consciousness, while the good stuff takes you a while to remember.

Another big problem with this excuse is the concept of "failure" itself. It's impossible for us to truly fail. Everything that happens to us, happens for a reason. Every life experience, both pleasant and unpleasant, increases our wisdom and understanding. So while it's very likely that the fears you have about your potential to "fail" at achieving wellness are simply untrue...even if you "fail," it is only temporary. It is only a learning experience. It is only a situation that will provide you with more data to achieve success.

This isn't an all-or-nothing game. The path to health has a bunch of stops and starts along the way. "Failing" is really just failing to get back on the horse and not give it one more try.

1. I'll do it tomorrow.
No, you won't. And even if you did, it's probably going to be harder to do. You can either wash the baking tray right after dinner, or slave over dried-up bits of yuck that has stuck to metal the three days later.

Also, there is no tomorrow. I can't access or touch "tomorrow." All I can comprehend is now.

What are you doing, right now?