I used to have tons of excuses and the worst part was I actually thought they were real!

I was thinking about my goals for 2020 and it hit me, I was making up TONS of excuses. My mind is very good at this. It loves to come up with all the ways I can’t accomplish something. And if I am being honest, I actually believe them! This is what thinking unconsciously is. 

When people ask me what the first step of changing is, I always say awareness. If you are not aware you are doing something, you will continue to do it. You may be aware of the feeling your actions are causing you. You may be aware of the actions you are doing that you would like to stop, but you also need to become aware of the thoughts/ stories that are happening in your mind. 

Excuses fall into the thoughts/stories category. Our mind wants to keep us as safe as possible, as efficiently as possible. This becomes a problem when we want to change. I sometimes feel powerless to the excuses I hold onto. But in reality I am believing my excuses are true, when in fact they are lies.

So how to become aware of your excuses? Grab a blank piece of paper. Write what you want to accomplish on the top. Now free write everything that comes to your mind. Even if it doesn’t make any sense, write it down. Now stop and analyze what you have written. What is coming up for you? Do you not have enough time? What about not enough money? You don’t know how? 

These are your starting blocks, so the next time you are thinking about your goals and the thought “I don’t know how” pops into your mind talk back to it. This part will seem weird at first, but we are actually in control of our minds and what we decide to believe in. So when a thought that doesn’t support your growth pops through, talk back to it. It can be as simple as saying “that thought is a lie.” 

The more you take control of your mind, the more action you will be able to take towards your goals. 

XO,

Ellie Curry