99% of the time when we say we “can’t” do something, “can’t” is a euphemism for “won’t.” What does “won’t” mean? Won’t means we’re not willing. In other words, you don’t really want to.
~ Marie Forleo, “Everything is Figureoutable”
“You don’t want to do the work,” continues Forleo. “You don’t want to take the risk. You don’t want to get uncomfortable or be inconvenienced. It’s simply not a big enough or important enough priority. Saying that you don’t want something (or don’t want to put in the work or sacrifice to get it) doesn’t make you bad or lazy. It makes you honest.”
Wow.
“What’s crucial to understand,” says Forleo, “is that no matter what happened in your past or what’s happening now, if you’re not at least willing to take full responsibility for your life—which includes your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour—you give up the power to change it.”
“Excuses are dream killers,” says Forleo. “If we allow them, our excuses will keep us locked in a prison of our own making.”
Yup.
“If we really want to, we can all find something to blame for our lack of results. But nothing is more of a deterrent to your long-term success than an untrained mind. Whenever you catch yourself making an excuse, don’t buy it.”
Gotcha.
There are two kinds of people in the world: those with reasons and those with results.
~ Marie Forleo
Interestingly, I can spot someone else’s excuses a mile away. But identifying my own, when they pop up (which they do on a regular basis), is a work in progress.
“Being “crazy-busy,” stressed-out, and chronically overwhelmed has become a cultural epidemic,” says Forleo. “Just because overstuffing our lives with endless to-dos is popular doesn’t mean it’s wise.”
Because busy doesn’t necessarily mean productive i.e. getting the really important stuff done.
“There’s a difference between owning your choices and blaming yourself,” she says. “Own your choices. If you take responsibility for how you spend your time, you reclaim the power to change it.”
“If it’s important enough,” says Forleo, “I’ll make the time. If not, I’ll make an excuse.”
It’s never about having the time; it’s about making the time.
~ Marie Forleo
Yup.
Most of us don’t realize how much time we fritter away on dumb shit that has no connection to our deepest values nor moves the needle ahead on our treasured dreams.
~ Marie Forleo
Feel free to read that line again, too…it’s a gooder.
Here’s a Frightening Little Farting-Around-Fun-Fact For You (also pulled from Marie Forleo’s outstanding book, “Everything is Figureoutable”):
“30 minutes a day dickin’ around on your phone/social media = 22 full 8-hour workdays!”
Yes, you read correctly. Half an hour a day on social media = THREE WEEKS!
I could write a screenplay in 3 weeks.
What could you accomplish in three full work weeks? Write a business plan? Apply for a grant? Write the first draft of a book manuscript? Get in shape?
The next time you habitually reach for your phone to scroll through dumb stuff that has no connection to your deepest values, nor move the needle forward on a treasured dream, perhaps take a moment to remember how precious your time is…and that it is finite.
“Opportunity cost is no joke,” says Forleo. “Every choice has a price. Everything you say yes to means you’re saying no to something else.”
One final Forleo gem to ponder for today:
“Here’s the mantra I use to curb my own media consumption: “Create before you consume.” Meaning, it’s imperative that I create the life (and work) of my dreams before I unconsciously and habitually consume the creations of others.”
It’s not just excuses that kill dreams…so do distractions. The key is to be honest with ourselves about what we really want our future to hold. Then find the courage to perhaps use the present a little more prudently.
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Previously Published on Pink Gazelle
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