Posts Tagged ‘Excuses’
Working as a Personal trainer, I always threatened my clients that I was going to write an excuse book featuring all their excuses that they have graciously provided me with over the years.
Most were somewhat amusing and extremely creative, and I am sure, provided with pure intent although I suspect not all were necessarily true.
I didn’t really have to say anything at all in response; I just gave ‘the look’. This was enough to produce guilt or shame on even the most valid of excuses.
Personal Trainers tend to become the ‘conscious of their clients’. I know many a time someone would inform me that they thought of me at various times of the day. I found this quite flattering at first until after further scrutiny I found out that my image popped into their heads whilst eating desert or having that last beer or forgoing exercise to stay in bed a little longer.
Ahhh, the guilty conscious, in the shape of a trainer, it has to be a good thing when it comes to keeping you on track with your goals, wouldn’t you agree?
Once whilst going through a previous clients food diary, I noticed that one of the days had not been filled in. When questioned as to why this occurred the excuse was, “I couldn’t find a pen for the whole day’. Not to be put off and after providing ‘the look’, I suggested that we fill it in now.
Instant horror, followed by sheer dismay was shared with me and then came the unfolding of the day’s calorie intake. It went a little like this:
Breakfast: McDonalds Bacon and egg McMuffin and pancakes
Lunch: Chips and gravy
Dinner: Chicken Kiev, veges and chips
Supper: Hotdog
No wonder we couldn’t find a pen the whole day, it was hiding in all the greasy fat being consumed.
I asked my dear client if he thought that by not writing it down it wouldn’t count in the overall scheme of things, that by not writing it down means that it didn’t happen.
He responded with yet another excuse, “Well it was a mates birthday weekend and I just wanted to have fun”.
There you have it, the real reason and one that may seem like a fair enough excuse but can I add here, if you going to do the crime you need to pay the time.
Meaning, don’t kid yourself and make up stories in your head that justify and rationalise your actions. Keep it real and deal with it.
Excuses are merely explanations offered to justify or obtain forgiveness thereby setting you up for failure.
If you have a blow out, instead of using excuses, use the ‘STOP’ principle.
Stay put – This means stop and breathe. Respond instead of react. This way you have a chance to put the ‘T’ part of the anagram into action.
Take a step back to evaluate – This gives you a chance to look at the whole picture rather than just the blowout. Often when you see the big picture the problem is never as big or insurmountable as first thought.
Observe the damage if any – Assessing the damage provides you with valuable information that will be needed when you put the ‘P’ in action. Without observing, you won’t have all the facts required for a successful strategy.
Plan your way forward – Having a plan is crucial to any goal and so is having a plan to get back on track once you fall off. It’s not a ‘plan B’, but a strategy that partners and supports your initial plan, resulting in ultimate success.
Having a blow out doesn’t mean that you have failed, all it is a side step on the path to success. Don’t give it any more power than that by making up excuses. They only limit your potential and deny you your right for an enriched life.