Some Tough Love about the Excuse of “Waiting…”
Have you ever found yourself WAITING for the perfect time (a day, or season) to start working towards a goal or dream? I’m dishing out some tough questions in this post… because… I think you’re making excuses. In this post, I'm sharing some tough love about the excuse of “waiting…”
Prefer to Listen? Press Play Below!
This is the time of year when you might be thinking about the goals you haven’t accomplished. You might be feeling like the clock is ticking faster as we get closer to the end of the year, or maybe you’re feeling discouraged about the lack of progress in the areas you so desperately want to grow in your life.
I want to talk about this really bad habit that might feel very tempting right now — waiting for the “perfect time” to start chasing your dreams. Maybe you’re thinking “I’ll start on November 1st!” or, “I’ll join the gym in January.” Here’s some honest, tough love… I think you’re making excuses.
So what are can you do when you find yourself making excuses and waiting to live your best life?
Here’s some Tough Love about the Excuse of “Waiting…”
Understand your Brain!
Your brain cannot tell the difference between real and perceived fear. Which means if you start something new, the fear-center of your brain might think you’re being chased by a bear! It will try to “help” by using every excuse in the book, including “I’ll just wait until…”
To combat this, face the underlying reasons head-on! Use the “5 Why’s” exercise by writing down, “Why am I waiting to start ______?” (<— fill in the blank) Ask “WHY?” to take yourself down several layers deeper, until you uncover the REAL reason why you’re waiting.
Remember these Hard Truths:
You may never feel ready. But I’m willing to bet that 1 year from now, you’ll be SO glad you started, even if it was imperfect or inconvenient timing.
Motivation is CRAP. I know, I’m a motivational speaker/teacher that says motivation is crap! But the truth is, motivation is fleeting, and it doesn’t last. That’s why you need to press IN and do the things that really matter to you, whether or not you feel like it.
Ask yourself these Hard Questions:
How long are you willing/going to wait to chase this goal? If you’re longing to grow or add this new thing into your life, do you think it’s worth delaying until next week (or next year)?
If you’re DONE waiting, why are you waiting for the “perfect” timing? There are times that timing matters. But more often than not, it’s just a matter of getting out of your head and GOING for it. (Ever heard the saying about jumping off a cliff and growing wings on the way down?)
* Please note: IT’S OKAY if you’re not ready to chase this goal! I just want you to accept that you’re not ready, and stop piling on the shame and guilt for not doing the work.
What’s the FIRST STEP you need to take? I’m willing to bet that it’s a lot easier than you think it is! You might be getting overwhelmed thinking about ALL the steps, but the truth is, you only need to do ONE.
What will you have to sacrifice, or give up, in order to do this? This is a life-altering question. It’s also REALLY hard. 😩 Whenever we want to add something to our life, there’s a good chance we’re going to have to give up something in order to make it happen.
ARE YOU WILLING to give that up? Again – NO shame if you said no! But everything is a choice, and if you really want to chase after this goal, at some point your desire for the goal needs to outweigh that thing you’re going to have to let go of.
If you’re looking to change your life, one simple step at a time… join me for 4 Weeks to Simplicity! It’s a month-long challenge designed to help you learn WHAT (and HOW!) to simplify your life in a way that works FOR YOU. Want to learn more? Click here! ➢
Do you have questions about the simplicity challenge?
Join me for a Wonder Session!
You'll get a ½ hour chat with me to talk about mindset, intentional living, or whatever — no strings attached. 😉