Self Motivation TechniquesOf all the self motivation techniques I know, one of the most crucial for success is: banish excuses from your life! From time to time, we all use excuses. They are easy and convenient. Excuses can be thought up quickly and come in handy in a tight spot. But, they are also dangerous. The problem is that people start to believe that the excuses are TRUE. Common Excuses: "I am too old..." "I am too young..." I am not smart enough..." "I don't know the right people..." "If only I had the money..." "If only I was better looking..." "I am too tired..." "I am too busy..."
If you say these things often enough, you will start to believe them. Excuses are like a fungus. If not killed right away, excuses, like a fungus, spread into more and more areas of your life. Applying self motivation techniques becomes more and more difficult as you become more and more used to living a life of excuses. Excuses block mental clarity and keep you from living your best life. If you don't kill the fungus, it will continue to feed off of you and grow. Excuses are rooted laziness and negativity. Kill them by being active and positive. Here are some of my favorite self motivation techniques for overcoming laziness and banishing excuses from your life: 1. Distinguish reality from excuses. If you think you are too old to take the stairs in an office building, ask yourself, "Is that really true?" Are you physically capable of walking up the stairs? Are there other circumstances in which you routinely walk up stairs without a second thought (up/down the second floor of your home, the basement, or the attic). If there was a fire, are you capable of taking the stairs rather than the elevator? The point is that if you use the excuse, "I am too old", then you eventually believe that you are too old...and, one day, you might catch yourself making "old person" noises as you roll out of bed in the morning! 2. Practice positive self talk. As self motivation techniques go, this one is pretty popular - and with good reason. If you think something often enough, you will eventually believe it. So, why not use positive self talk to make your life better? Here are some examples for how to overcome excuses: Excuse: I am too old New thought: I am capable, energetic and rejoice in being alive
Excuse: I don't have the time New Thought: I choose how to spend my time. I am in control of my life
Excuse: I am too tired New Thought: I am full of energy. It will feel good to get started, rather than continue to delay.
Excuse: I don't have the money to pursue my passions New Thought: I will begin pursuing my passions right now. Any assistance that I need will show up when it is meant to
3. Is it a real obstacle or an excuse? Often, excuses disguise themselves as real obstacles and can therefore appear very overwhelming. To distinguish an excuse from a true obstacle ask, "Do I absolutely need X before I can get Y?" For example, in order to become a doctor, you absolutely need to graduate from medical school. However, you do not absolutely need to lose weight before you can have more romance in your life. So, if you think you need to lose weight before you can have a loving relationship, then you are making excuses! 4. Be positive. This is another one of my favorite self motivation techniques. It is much easier to fight off excuses with a positive attitude. Find the positive in the situation. Challenges have benefits - be creative and find them. Focus on the fun in the situation or the reward at the end of the challenge. Keep a positive attitude, too. You will be happier, more energetic, and more pleasant to be around :-) 5. Be smart with your time. Don't have the time to pursue your dreams? Try waking up 15 minutes earlier, while driving to work or doing the dishes listen to a CD or radio show relevant to your dreams, or finish lunch 10 minutes early and use that time to brainstorm. Find a gym closer to home or spend less time chit-chatting at work so that you can get your work done faster leave earlier. These small chunks of time will quickly add up and get you back on track. 6. Visualize the end result. When you have a clear and compelling vision, it is much easier to overcome laziness and get motivated. You will act on that goal and you will want to see it through. Think it will be too hard or take too long to achieve? Challenge those excuses by remembering other lengthy and challenging goals you are already committed to: being a good parent, paying off your mortgage, and having a loving family life. I hope you find these self motivation techniques useful in overcoming excuses and living the life of your dreams. Good luck!
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