Living an Excuse-free Life!

Was in Genting over the weekend. I kinda considered it as a pilgrimage, you know, go up to top of mountain, rest, relax, reflect over the past half-year, re-align or set new goals, and recharge.

The previous time I went Genting, I came down the mountain and joined Fitness First! Since then, I have lost 7 kg, finally seeing some small results on something I have been trying for years without success. So it's sort of a pat-on-the-back, let's-see-what's-coming-up sort of trip / personal reflection journey.

I forgot to take my borrowed library books from reception, so didn't manage to read any of the finance books I was interested in. Only had this book "Excuses Begone!" by Dr Wayne W. Dyer, some self-help guru. I finished the book this morning on the daily commute, and I appreciate the thoughts and reflections I have had after reading.

The book talks about Mind over Matter, and to stop giving oneself excuses for not achieving one's potential. "I don't deserve it", "I don't have time", "I am too old" are quite frankly some of the common excuses I use to avoid a certain decision, to not do something, or to seek sympathy.

So I was reading the final chapter today, and it spoke about how to face the excuse of "I'm too tired". If you keep saying this phrase, you will believe it, your body will live it, and soon you'll be too tired to do anything ever. It seems like such a valid reason, when you are working late into the night, juggling work and studies and what-nots, and it continuously provides a comfort zone for people to not do something.

Instead, the book advises one to stop saying that phrase, and instead tell yourself that "you have sufficient time and energy to do the work tasks that you set out to", and the body would adapt to achieve that. Having slept at 1 - 3 am for the work week so far, I truly felt that I was too tired, and that I wouldn't be able to concentrate during class today. "I'm too tired" is almost my daily phrase, and it is usually accompanied by a big yawn.

So, I tried it out today. I actively refrained myself from saying "I'm too tired", and instead reminded myself that I had sufficient energy to last the day, and still be able to focus in class. It worked. I barely yawned, I was able to focus on the discussions today, and I still have the energy to complete some work after class.

Now I will reflect on my usual excuses, and how I can remove them as barriers to attain my goals... so that I can live an excuse-free, fulfilling life!