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Before I started the Healthification podcast I tried to get a regular video routine happening.

For months and months, initially with the help of various video buddies and then on my own I set the goal of a weekly video but always something jumped in my way.

I don’t have time. Or I can’t do it on my own. OR the gym isn’t free of other people right now.

My biggest most persistent EXCUSE was that I don’t like the way I’m so overly expressive on camera!

The advice to “just embrace it Kate – that’s part of what makes you you” is of no value when you’re hell-bent on hunting down an excuse… any excuse… as I was.

In todays show let’s chat: Excuses.

Those self imposed, debilitatingly limiting reasons you create to escape doing the things that are going to get you the results you say you want.

As much as I may have zero tolerance for excuses so far as food and exercise – as I’ve just shared they do sneak into other areas of my life.

Here are 3 things to remember about your excuses:

One: Excuses will build on each other.

Once you let one get through it’ll be that much easier to give in to a similar excuse again.

So unless you like the look of the way it’ll be when this excuse becomes your common response, it’s worth slamming the door on it right now.

Two: Excuses SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF YOU… and me too.

If you want to be the person that you’d like to spend time with you’ve got to let go of the excuses.

We’ve all got our own excuse demons right – you don’t want to get sucked into my excuses as I don’t want to get sucked into yours. You know just listening to someone else’s excuse-rubbish is super draining… well take that massive waste of energy and times it by about a tonne to get just a hint of how much your own excuses are draining you!

Three: If you want the results you’ve got to let go of the excuses.

It really is that simple.

As I write this it’s a fairly gorgeous day and as much as I love planning and recording every single podcast, it’d also be pretty awesome to get out for a stroll along the beaches and soak up some rays.

I, as you, have the ability to reason myself into why this could be the best course of action… to come up with the creative excuse as to why I don’t need to stay hanging with the computer and why I deserve that afternoon stroll.

However I know that is exactly the tactic to take if I want to reason myself right out of RESULTS.

Because basically you get to choose reasons OR results and both is not part of the deal.

Think of your excuses as a ball and chain tied around your ankle… they’re holding you stuck. They make every single step forward painstakingly hard and slow as you try to draaaaggg them with you. Everything takes so much more energy when you’re holding tight to excuses.

Conversely, everything will become that much easier when you shut down your excuses.

Funnel your energy into making progress not making excuses!

To shut down excuses is to take back control, and that is something super appealing to this little control freak. When you fall back to an excuse you’re giving relinquishing responsibility and giving control to something beyond you.

Perhaps the weather. Or your energy levels. Maybe the ever utilised yet utterly evidence-less “I Have No Time” excuse.

I’m yet to meet the person who hasn’t succumbed to the ‘no time excuse’ at some point so let’s make that todays action step.

The next time you catch yourself attempting the old, “I don’t have time” line to excuse yourself from doing something you’ve said is important to you choose one of these approaches instead:

A) What can you do to ensure that this thing becomes a priority over everything else that you choose to do instead today?

B) Question your excuse. In the calm-light-of-day is there any validity to it at all or are you merely clutching to excuse straws as I was with video?

C) Embark on an ‘Excuse List Exercise’. I first heard about this from James Schramko in my favourite podcast called Think Act Get. I’ll link to it in todays show notes as it’s really a high value, and entertaining show.

For your Excuse List:

Step 1). Take a clean sheet of paper and write everything that has stopped you from taking those actions you know would deliver you the results your seeking.

No limits. Just jot that jazz down.

Perhaps time, family commitments, food intolerances, income, weather, sneakily-sabotaging-friends… your mum’s insanely-good-raspberry-friands… the unlucky genetics that make it 10 times tougher for you than for anyone else in the history of fat loss ever.

Every little excuse deserves paper space.

Step 2). Take that sheet of paper and tear it into tiny pieces – and throw that crap-o-la out – because there are no excuses!

In closing I’d like to clarify that I don’t for a second believe everyone needs to have zero tolerance for excuses so far as food and exercise.

My goals are not your goals.

My point is that it’s always your choice. If it’s not that important to you that’s cool.

Choose NOT to do it.

The waste is when you say you want it – whether that’s the body, the health, the whatever and then constantly make up excuses to reason yourself out of taking the actions and achieving the results you say you want.

Be honest with YOU – if you don’t want it don’t pretend you do and if you DO WANT IT then, there are no excuses!

For today’s quote I’ll hand over to Benjamin Franklin, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else”.

That brings us to the end of Healthification #091. I’ll be back tomorrow with the Tuesday Tucker show and the: Licence To Splurge.

If you liked this you’ll also like: Overcoming Excuses: Don’t wish it was easier, get better.

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.