“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves.”
In the past when I was busy or stressed, I often made excuses for missing workouts and accepted this as a legitimate reason for not exercising. Not only did I miss my workouts, I did not use alternative ways to reduce my stress or maintain my wellness. Every time I made an excuse, this pattern became easier and moved me further away from exploring why I was inconsistent with my wellness plan.
There is a tendency for people to be dishonest about their deficiencies or to not follow through on goals or responsibilities. The excuses and lies we tell ourselves can be damaging and staying in this pattern will result in missing opportunities or delaying a person’s development.
Here are a few common lies we frequently tell ourselves and significantly impact our life.
Do these sound familiar?
Lie #1: I am too busy and there are not enough hours in a day
This lie is #1 on my list for a reason; I believe it is the most frequently used and for many a widely accepted excuse. Why? Because many people are busy and have less time to accomplish their dreams.
Follow a simple rule for making time for your goal:
Use this simple question: Are my actions helping me achieve my goal? If your focus and actions are not aligned with your goals, start the elimination process. Stop having the mindset that you need to add things to your schedule to be more productive; start assessing what tasks or actions need to be eliminated from your routine. Developing a strategy for taking very specific, inspired actions will effectively remove the “I’m too busy” excuse. Scale down the mission and place a high value on each step to achieve your goal.
Lie #2: I do not have the support system to accomplish my goal
You should realize that your goals and dreams are often not as important to others as they are to you. To reach your full potential and accomplish far reaching goals, at times you will feel like you are on an island by yourself. Finding a good support system is beneficial and can help you in many ways; however, if you do not have one or they are inconsistent, this should not deter you from chasing your dreams.
Follow a simple rule to overcome a limited support system:
Maintain a belief in yourself. Pursuing a good support system is important and can occasionally spark your enthusiasm and help guide you; however, do not rely on them to be your primary inspiration. Having a belief in yourself and committing to specific actions is what will determine how far you go in life.
Lie #3: I will start tomorrow
Pushing off responsibilities for a later date is a common pattern for many people. The problems in your life begin to surface when you develop a bad habit of ignoring your wellness or pushing off goals. When a “I don’t feel like it today” or “tomorrow I will start” mindset takes precedence over starting your goal today, this begins a downward spiral of bad behaviors that negatively impact future effort and progress.
Follow a simple rule of starting today on your goal:
Remind yourself of your values and why it is important to act on your goal today. If your goals and dreams are important, quit waiting for the energy or enthusiasm; start today and your inspiration will likely grow as you get into the task.
Lie #4: If I would make more money everything in my life would be better
A common myth is the belief that making more money will cure all your problems. If you have bad money habits, increasing your income will often exacerbate your irresponsible behaviors.
Follow a simple rule of money:
Be responsible and develop good habits with what you are earning right now. If you want to help yourself, change your habits with your current income. Be honest about your finances and start separating the gap between your income and expenses. Focus on developing good habits and begin to enjoy the opportunities that come with improving your finances.
Strategy: Use this question to challenge your thinking and patterns
What is one thing that if I considered would no longer make this statement true in my mind?
Lie #1: I am too busy and there are not enough hours in a day
If I would assess my daily patterns, could I improve my time management and find time to work on my goal?
Lie #2: I do not have the support system to accomplish my goal
Is there someone I should reach out to that could help support my dreams?
Lie #3: I will start tomorrow
Is there one thing I can do today that will build momentum and start the journey to accomplish my goal?
Lie #4: If I would make more money everything in my life would be better
Is there one thing I can do today that will make my life better and has nothing to do with money?
Final thoughts:
The lies we tell ourselves can hinder your life in many ways. At best, it can make life harder or less enjoyable. The more damaging lies can make you unhappy and prevent you from reaching your full potential. The four examples I use are just a few of the lies we often tell ourselves. The key is to challenge your thoughts and habits, especially when you are not accomplishing your desired results.
Excuses we use are an easy path to rationalize your substandard results or why you are not acting on what you should be doing. These lies are a more comforting interpretation of reality and often leads to feeling better about your outcomes. If this becomes a pattern, you create an easy path to accepting less than your best, a mindset you should avoid. Until you change this habit and develop new strategies, you will not improve your life.
