Ditching Excuses, Conquering Distractions

Raise your hand if you’re perfectly happy with your life just as it is.

If you are, congratulations! I’m thrilled for you!

There is so much I’m grateful for in my life, but honestly, I’m not where I want to be. And if I’m going to do brave and take an honest assessment of why I’m not where I want to be, it’s because I’ve let excuses and distractions take over, and I’ve had unresolved internal conflict about getting what I want.

For instance, I’ve asked myself, “Since I grew up poor, am I always destined to be poor?”

Then I remembered that when you ask negative questions, your brain will give you a negative answer.

So my brain told me, “Yes, you are destined to be poor forever and ever and ever.”

Pssh. Who asked you? I disagree with that immensely!

So I started asking different questions like, “How do I create an exceptional life of good health, wealth, and happiness?” It’s a loaded question that unfolds like a multidimensional origami — there are so many sides to it!

But I began following others who lived passionately and whose lives reflected the life I wanted. And it wasn’t just about money; it was about finding meaning and purpose in my life. It was about serving and helping others. That mattered more to me.

I do believe that wealth will come somewhere down the road, but I discovered that when my focus was honed in on money (especially when coming from a place of lack), I sacrificed fulfillment in so many other areas of life, like spiritual growth, connection and love with family, and personal growth. I was no longer living in alignment with my values and ended up mega-stressed.

Desperation ain’t pretty, no matter how you dress it up.

There really are no excuses these days to not go after the life you dream of. All excuses do is keep you stuck.

What do you tell yourself? I can’t… I don’t have… I don’t know… I don’t think I can.

The only limitations you have are the ones you’ve created in your own mind. You can have an illness or a disease, or you can be lacking resources or knowledge. But you have resources all around you, and you also have enough smarts to research the answers you need.

I do understand the weight of illness and physical limitations. PTSD ripped my world apart. I went from being a highly paid executive assistant to not being able to handle the simple job of scheduling for a home maintenance solopreneur. My brain wouldn’t work right, appointments fell through the cracks, and I’d constantly forget things.

I had no control over this, but I’m here today because I kept hope alive, and I kept believing that there was more for me. I never stopped fighting and looking for answers. I found others who had overcome PTSD and that gave me hope and made me believe healing was possible.

And here I am. Healed.

It’s the age of technology, and there are no limits to what you can learn or achieve.

So be honest, especially to yourself. What are you believing about yourself and your future? Are your beliefs serving you? Are they helping you move forward? Or are they keeping you stuck inside a hamster wheel?

What about distractions? Excuses and distractions tend to get married and rule the house (aka, you). I believe it’s our fears of going after what we want that cause us to create distractions in our lives in the first place.

We’re not motivated, we’re tired, we’re lonely, maybe a little depressed? Maybe what you want seems too far out of reach. Or maybe you have Tomorrow Syndrome and keep telling yourself, “I’ll start on that tomorrow.”

How many tomorrows have gone by already?

We’re never promised tomorrow. I have experienced enough death among friends and family to understand that, so I implore you to take this to heart and not waste a single day.

When you decide you’re tired of living a mediocre life and you’re ready to make some effort (let it be now!), then it’s time to shift your focus from just “getting through each day” to “making things happen.” It’s time to stop living passively and start living. Period.

How much time do you spend on social media and scrolling, looking for some sort of meaning? Has it become an addiction for you? Recognize how mind-numbing it can be, except for those 30 seconds that you come across a video that makes you laugh or go, “Awww!”

Those are dopamine triggers, and they keep you coming back because your brain is dying for more. But it will always be a temporary fix.

You can raise your dopamine levels and participate in life by going on a walk with your family, making real connections with people, or accomplishing a goal!

Our brains are getting sucked into a screen, and that’s not living. It’s definitely not connecting the way God intended. Screens are robbing us of life. The connections you seek are with real humans! You know, face-to-face?

If you can admit you have an issue with electronics, I challenge you to stay off your phone and TV tonight and sit down with a notebook. Start writing down clear and concise goals for the things you want in your life and the things that are most important to you.

What would bring you joy?

Then ditch whatever excuses you’ve been dishing out, take radical ownership of your life, and start making things happen. C’mon, friend. You’ve accepted mediocrity for long enough. You deserve joy and happiness. It’s not going to fall into your lap. You have to go create it.

Do one thing per day that moves the needle toward your dreams and goals.

If you’re waiting for someone to believe in you and tell you you can do it:

You can do it!! You’re capable!! Now go do brave!

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Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash