Unlock the Power of Perseverance: 2. Excuses, excuses...get rid of them!
If I only had a penny for every excuse I've heard over the years I'd have a million dollars. Making excuses can result in a permanent detour on the road to making exercise a part of your life.
When it comes to exercise we make excuses for several reasons. They can come from not knowing what to do, where to carry out the exercise program, how to get started or who will help you. Am I going to stick with it? Can I get my money's worth? Really, what it all boils down to is fear. The fear of uncertainty.
Having fear about this whole exercise thing is understandable. Everybody has a fear of something. Unfortunately these fears, if allowed to dominate your thinking, will stop you before you even get started. You can't let this happen. Eighty percent of the fears we have either never come to pass or are completely out of our control. Yet we focus so much energy on them.
When it comes to fear there are three ways to handle it. The first way is to completely avoid whatever is causing the fear. In our context, avoiding exercise for fear of not knowing what to do means you don't exercise. What good is that going to be?
You also have the option of hoping the fear will go away over time. This isn't a smart choice either because you may be waiting forever. The longer you wait the more out of shape you become. Waiting isn't the answer.
The only option you have is to stand up to your fear. Take advice from our 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, when he said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." It may not be as difficult as you think. If you are not sure where to start your exercise program, refer to Chapter 3.
Excuses are like armpits...they all stink! There are plenty of willing people, books, and magazines out there to help you face your fears and get started. Making excuses not to exercise boils down to fearing the uncertain. Don't wait for the fear to go away. Do something about it.
George Washington Carver stated, "Ninety-nine percent of failures will come from people who have a habit of making excuses." Be part of the one percent who succeeds!
