Identifying and Overcoming Excuses to Achieve Your Goals

People have many reasons or excuses not to pursue a goal or dream. There truly are reasons and then there are excuses. The trick is determining which are reasons and which are excuses. 

Ever wonder the reason or reasons you keep putting off what it is you think or say you want to do? I can come up with so many reasons it would fill a notebook, well maybe not that many.

First, I found I needed to ask myself the following questions:

1. Why is this goal or dream important to me?

2. How important is it to me?

I decided writing a newsletter is extremely important because I care about people living their best life and doing what it is that’s truly important to them.

Second, I explored the following:

1. What is it that’s keeping me from starting or moving forward with my newsletter? 

 Questions:                       My Answers:

Is it a lack of knowledge?                Maybe my perception of a lack of knowledge

Lack of Time(or perceived lack of time?) Yes, so many tasks, so little time.

Is it fear?                                                       Absolutely!

Or all of the above and more?                 Yes!

For me, it was all of the above or so I led myself to believe.

Third, once I was honest with myself and answered the questions, I determined a plan to move forward which I encourage you to do too. 

What is my plan of action and solutions to putting things off?

• Solutions to help me move forward:

• I could share experiences in the newsletter.

• I have time, I just needed to put the time on my calendar AND honor the commitment I made to myself and more importantly to you to write the newsletter. 

• Fear – well I’m not certain I have a solution to this one however, I decided that different topics would resonate with different people, and I’d just have to go for it. 

There is no judgment in the answers. You may answer the questions and decide the goal or dream you thought was important isn’t as important to you as you thought it was. It’s okay to decide not to pursue something.

If you decide your goal or dream is important to you then it’s time:

1. To start the journey to accomplishing that goal you’ve been dreaming about.

2. Put together a timeline.

3. Determine your action steps.

4. Mark time on the calendar to work on it.

5. Find yourself a positive accountability buddy who will cheer you on through the good, the bad, and the ugly times.