Day Two- Letting Go of Excuses

 

“I’m too tired. I don’t have enough money. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. I’m too old. I’m too young. I’m not smart enough. It’s too hard. I don’t know the right people. I don’t have enough time. “ 

Excuses, excuses… the list goes on and on. I am just as good at making them as the next guy. In fact, I have said every single one of those excuses that I just listed on multiple occasions.  Our flesh is really good at making excuses.

The trouble with excuses is that they keep us from fulfilling the call of God that has been placed on each of our lives. If we are always making excuses, then how can we ever hope to live the lives that we were meant to live? So, how do we change this negative behavior? 

Start taking responsibility for your choices.

It is all too easy to get into the habit of making excuses. If we want to break the habit, then we need to first acknowledge that we are in a negative cycle of behavior.  We need to start telling ourselves the truth and take responsibility for the choices that we are making every day.

Examine the underlying causes. 

Why are you making excuses? Are you afraid of failure? Are you afraid of success? Are there obstacles that you aren’t sure how to navigate? Considering the causes can help lead us to solutions.  Again, this is a time where we need to be honest with ourselves, as well as others.

 Begin to discipline yourself. 

There it is- the “D” word. Discipline.  We need to do what we know is right even when we don’t feel like it. Commit to being a person who exhibits self-control. Be realistic and start with doing small things every day.  Consider asking a trusted friend or family member to be your accountability partner.  The requirement to report our progress to someone else can help keep us going when our own motivation is hard to find.

Letting go of excuses can be a challenging process. Nothing worthwhile is easy. However, the rewards are tremendous!

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."~Hebrews 12:11