|
Hi Again!
This issue is short, but sweet, because I'm
working on your surprise. We're having a contest.
Everybody will win something, but one person gets a really cool prize.
The details will be in your next issue, which you'll receive in just a
few days.
Want a hint? Be thinking about
something you've said you want to do. Really. But it just
doesn't get done. Something you can make some real progress with
in a couple of months.
Like maybe:
- Quit caffeine
- Lose 5 pounds
- Clean the basement
- Research your new business idea
- Organize your desk at work
- Set up a regular exercise program
- Outline your next book
- Get your personal finances in order
- Organize a group of like-minded
friends for support with your healthy lifestyle :-)
Ok, that was your hint. We'll talk
more about it next time. Now, on to the rest of this issue.
What type are you?
These excuses are
getting to be a lot of fun. The more I talk with people about
them, the more ways I find to describe just what we're dealing with.
Here's another way to look at it.
We say we want to
do something, and then we don't. Right. Everybody's clear
on that. What we want to know is why not.
Here's the
revelation:
Most of our
reasons fall into one of 4 "families". Little groups.
Understand the reason behind the reason and you'll have another tool
for getting yourself moving (because you can deal with what you
understand).
Here are the 4
excuse families:
1.
Your priorities aren't clear.
You'll know this applies to you if you hear yourself saying things
like "I can't afford it" to something you really need. Or "I'll
deal with it later" when the thing you're putting off is actually the
solution to your problem.
Like Jen, whose
goal was to get her finances in order. "I'll start saving soon,"
she said. "Once I get my car paid off." Of course last
year it was a new stereo and before that she had something else.
Get it?
"I'll deal with it later" (after I've already got the result I'm
after) is backwards thinking.
2. You
attribute your problem to something you can't control. Most
of the things we deal with are influenced by many different factors.
When you only look at the factors you can't control, you stop your
progress immediately.
Steve, age 38,
decided his back hurt because he was getting older. Nearing the
big 4-oh. Ok, wait a minute. How long is a back supposed
to last, anyway? A lot longer than 38 years. Maybe there's
something else going on, eh? Better get it checked out.
(Cheers to my
northern neighbors!)
3. You allow
the "Deadly Trio" of Resignation, Apathy, and Denial to determine your
course of action. Or rather inaction. Because if
you're stuck in "why bother," then nothing much is going to get done.
Sandy knew she
was having problems at work. The boss had started avoiding her.
Bad sign. So she'd been showing up late. That last time
wasn't her fault either. It was just bad luck she spilled coffee
on her shirt and had to go back home to change.
So she'd messed
up the sales meeting by not getting that stupid report done. The
boss should have done it herself if it was so darned important.
So what?
"It's just how I am," she thought. "If they don't like it, that's just
too bad."
Too bad for
Sandy, it turns out, since she got fired. Bummer.
4. Education.
Actually lack of education. Meaning you haven't taken the time
to learn enough about your problem to figure out what you might be
able to do about it.
Imagine throwing
out set after set of tires because you don't feel like getting the car
aligned. Nobody would do that, would they?
Well, you've only
got one shot with your bones and joints before they wear out. If
you really knew that a little thingy in your shoe would spare you a
hip replacement surgery down the line, wouldn't you want to pay the
$15 and get one?
Think of your favorite excuse.
So which type is
it? Remember, what you understand, you can deal with. It's
usually the "great unknown" that trips us up.
For help getting
back on track, check out Word Cures: How to Keep Stupid Excuses
from Sabotaging Your Health. It's available in our
Distance Learning Store,
or locally at the Natural Health Shoppe and Home Sweet Home in Minot,
ND.
See you again in a few days!
Elizabeth
|
