If you ask a kid to do anything, odds are they’ll have a desperate excuse to not comply.
Dad: Did you clean your room?
Kid: I need help!
Mom: Did you brush your teeth?
Kid: I’m too tired.
Dad: Please put your bike in the garage.
Kid: It’s too far.
You get the idea.
Thing is, when it comes to getting our butts in gear to workout, we can get ridiculous with our excuses.
After some scientific polling (aka asking my Facebook friends), here are some of the most popular:
- I worked out yesterday
- I’ll go tomorrow
- I’m still sore
- I’m too tired (my personal favorite)
- Today is a “rest” day
- I don’t have time
- It’s too early
- It’s too late
- I forgot to set my alarm
- My back/head/neck/legs hurt
- My contacts are blurry
- My socks smell
- I don’t know what to do
- I don’t like working out at the gym
- I don’t like working out at home
- My garage workout space isn’t finished
- I don’t like sweating
- The gym is too crowded
- The gym is too empty
- Everyone else at the gym is stronger
- It takes too long to see results
- I get bored
- I’m lazy
- I’m tired of my music
- I don’t know what to listen to
- I don’t have the right shoes (or I can’t find them)
- I have to answer all these emails first or the world will end
- I get enough exercise at my day job
- I’m too busy chasing my kids around
- I like ice cream instead
- I just ate KFC, beer, pizza, bacon, hamburgers, whiskey.
Special thanks to Mike, Chauntelle, John, Joel, Sarah, Krissy, Sara, Mike, Matthew, Leanne, Rick, Geoff, Bri, Erick, Jennifer, Matt, Sean, Danny, Robby, Lorna, Christa, Katie, and Chuck for helping me with this list.
Excuses aren’t the enemy
Coming up with excuses is a skill we’ve developed since childhood. Even if we really want something (like a fit, healthy body), we barely hesitate to come up with a reason to avoid the work required to achieve it.
Did you notice anything peculiar about the list of excuses above?
Some of them referenced a mature sense of ownership and self-awareness.
Just because these are excuses doesn’t mean the reasons are invalid.
You are busy.
You are tired.
You do get sore.
You do get bored.
While the most successful people might avoid excuses (LINK) in the first place, what defines your path to success is what you do after an excuse rears it’s head.
Acknowledge the excuse, but don’t stop there. Continue the thought and consider what comes next.
Yes, you are busy. So is everyone else. What can you change about being busy? Can you add a workout to your day or do you need to swap something out? Does your “busyness” align with your values and priorities?
It’s okay to make excuses. Just don’t keep them around.
What is your favorite excuse? How do you overcome excuses in other areas of your life?