It’s the first week of fall and most of us have a project list a mile long.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about motivation killers…things that deflate us as we’re working towards big goals.
But what if you don’t even get to that point because you make excuses before you even take the first step towards your goals ?
I don’t know about you, but I’m a master of “reasons I can’t do this or that” when I want to be.
I’m pretty convinced that busy women in particular have a special talent for coming up with reasons not to tackle this or that project, especially when it comes to self-care and health goals. We can ALWAYS find something “more important” to focus on, right? 😉
Here are some of the best (worst?) excuses we make for not making self-care (i.e., our health) our number one priority…and how you can move past them to start feeling amazing. (I should know. I’ve made these excuses myself…recently. 😉
- I’m too busy. Or “I don’t have time.” This is my personal favorite. It’s just so easy to use! But here’s the thing: We all make choices about how we spend our time every single day. If we want to make something happen, we make it happen. A few months back, I’d resigned myself to not having a regular yoga practice. I’d even shifted blame to my local yoga studio for not having classes at the times I wanted. (Ha!) Then I came across a website called Yogaglo that allows me to take amazing yoga classes online. I started streaming them from my iPad to my Apple TV about 2-3 times a week and voilà! – I magically had time for a yoga practice. In my living room. No more excuses.
- It’s too expensive. Maybe you’ve considered hiring a trainer or a health coach or participating in a program like The Effortless Eating Program…you know, to force yourself to make self-care a priority. 😉 I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed support and decided that it was just “too expensive.” Fast forward a few months, and I end up back in that place…desperately needing an assist and finally acknowledging that asking for support is worth every penny because it gets me where I want to go faster and with far less stress than trying to figure it all out on my own. (Sort of like the “going it alone” motivation killer I talked about a few weeks ago.)
- I’m already a healthy eater, athlete, whatever. I find that when I use this excuse, it usually means that I’m resisting taking care of myself out of fear rather than out of being 100% comfortable with how I’m feeling. Perfect example: My hip has bothered me lately (18 months of hardcore cycling at Flywheel is finally catching up with me). I’ve been thinking about calling my physical therapist for at least two weeks now. I’ve even told several people that I’m going to call him. But the little voice in my head keeps saying “I’ve had weird pains like this before and they’ve been fine after a few weeks. I know how to deal with it. I’m a Pilates instructor, for god’s sake! I’ve been active my whole life. What could my PT possibly tell me that I don’t already know?” Ummm…right. What could someone who works with clients with these kinds of challenges all day POSSIBLY know that I don’t? I call BS.
- It requires too much discipline. I just don’t have that kind of willpower! Here’s the thing about making self-care a priority: Once you start eating a little better or exercising a little more or allowing yourself enough sleep, it doesn’t take long for it to feel effortless. Creating new habits does require a smidge of discipline upfront – it took me about a month of dragging my butt to my yoga mat to make it a regular thing (and the support of a friend who was also doing a “30-day yoga challenge“) – but they quickly become second nature. The trick is to focus on the benefits that happen quickly – like more energy and clearer thinking – instead of on the stuff that takes a little longer, like weight loss. (That’s another one of my “motivation killers:” expecting instant gratification.)
- I feel guilty putting myself first. I saved the best for last. 😉 This excuse is almost universal with women – married, single, kids, no kids. Doesn’t seem to matter. For whatever reason (too complicated to get into here, I’m sure), we’re programmed to take care of everything else – family, friends, work – before we take care of ourselves. I spend a big chunk of my time with clients giving them permission to take care of themselves…and reminding them that, if they don’t, they won’t be particularly useful to the people in their lives who depend on them. (Not to mention much less pleasant to be around. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, not putting you at the top of your priority list eventually makes you grumpy.) So give yourself a break. Do something nice for yourself, even if it’s just a couple hours a week to spend time on you. The people in your life will thank you.
Your turn! Tell me in the comments:
• Which of these excuses do you make most often?
• What’s helped you move past them and start making YOU a priority?
P.S. The next video in my free video training series goes live on Thursday! Learn the single biggest reason you’re not exercising…and how to tackle it so you can get movin’ again. 🙂 Sign up to get the video series, designed to help you make little tweaks for massive results.
