Debra Kasowski

3 Dream Stealing Excuses Keeping You from Living Your Best Life

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Everyone has a choice to create the happiness and the life of their dreams. Yet, few will take the initiative to actually make things happen. They come up with all the reasons they can not have what they want.

There are many excuses everything from: the dog to the kids, to my spouse or partner, to heap load of debt or no money, to I have a headache or I need to wash my hair. Think about your excuses.

How committed are you to your dream of creating a lifestyle of your dreams?

How committed are you to growing a booming well established business?

The top dream stealing excuses I have heard are:

  1. I have no money. You have gotten to where you are right now by the choices you have made. You also have the ability to make a new choice that will empower you to make even better choices. Can you make more money? Can you spend less in other places and invest what you can into your new priorities? Yes, there may be some sacrifices along the way. Here is the deal breaker. You may not like sacrifice. People tend to lower the standard of their dreams based on the amount of sacrifice they are willing to make. Are you willing to sacrifice for the short term to get the long term gain?

2.  It’s too much work or It’s too hard. It is great to share a pipe dream or look at someone and say “Wow, they just have all the luck.” I can guarantee in most cases, luck had nothing to do with it. The work did. Strong work ethic, discipline, and 18534824_mldetermination got them to where they are. No one has died from hard work. I am sure you can not only work hard but you can also work smarter than the next person. You need to create a plan. Get a mentor or hire a coach to help you. Any person who has faced great challenges knows that it takes work and a “never give up attitude” to make ideas happen. Don’t listen to the people who say you can or say “Do you really want to do that? This is your dream. This is your goal. When you decide that your commitment to your dream is stronger than your excuses, you will make your ideas and dream happen.

3. I have a spouse/partner and kids. Yes, so do I. So do many people. Does that mean you push aside your dreams and goals? Can you share your dream with your spouse/partner about your commitment and what you plan to do to make it happen? My guess is that you would probably support theirs – why not yours? Can you be a role model for your children as you chase your passions and teach them about making key decisions? It is an injustice to the world for you to hold back on your dreams. You need to show up in the world. You have a purpose and you are here to make an impact.

There can be many excuses that are holding you back from living the life of your dreams. Make a shift. Debunk the myths about what society implies you must do. Do what you know feels right. Make a decision – What is your why? What do you really want for your life or business? By making a choice to commit to what you feel you are here to do, the “how” often sorts itself out. Don’t steal your own dreams with your excuses. Choose to make the commitment to yourself. Choose to be happy and you will prosper!

How have you challenged your excuses? Please share to help others from stealing their dreams!

 

Your Excuse Today Affects Your Tomorrow

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Photo Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net

When you finally get a chance to sit down and the end of the day, can you honestly say that you have given your very best effort for that day? Several individuals will say, “Absolutely!” whereas others may say, “Well, I guess I could have “tried” a little harder.” Notice the difference. One statement , is with conviction and the other is weaker. Could have, would have and should have’s are not declarations of intent. When you say I will try, it means maybe yes and maybe no. Now what if you said, “I will” or “I am going to give my best effort.” Do you notice a difference? Which statement sounds stronger?

There is so much power in the words that you use. No matter what you do – business interactions or interactions in your relationships, the same rules apply. I want you to examine or reflect on the words that you use. The power of the mind can be one of the greatest challenges or your greatest gift once you master your thoughts. The words you tell yourself, are what hold you back and when in doubt you mind can play tricks of comparison and competition. The only person you should be comparing yourself or competing with is YOU!

What excuses do you say or give for not giving your best efforts.  You need to take responsibility for what you have control of.

 

 The top 5 excuses I hear are:

1. My Boss – My boss did not give me clear direction or not enough time to complete a project. What could you do here? Ask for more detail, direction, and perhaps negotiate a deadline.

 

2. My Kids – Yes, kids have bedtimes and routines that need to be followed but do they really stop you from accomplishing your goals? Usually not. You need to get creative – get up an hour earlier, exercise with a video tape or go to the gym where they have babysitting, or even hire a babysitter or ask a trusted friend.

 

3. Not enough time – This is a big one! The  solution to this is tracking your time for one week. Look at where time gets wasted. When you start becoming vigilant and focused on the amount of time you spend in different areas you will notice that you can find more time to do what you love.

 

4. I am too tired. – Keep saying “I am too tired.” and the more things that will come up to ensure this statement reigns true. Get enough sleep so you can function at you optimal level.

 

5. Not enough money. – Many individuals say that they do not have enough money to go after what they what. One thing that I know to be true is when you investigate the cost of some of your goals or dreams you will realize that they are not so far out of reach after all. When you make a decision and plan, you can make many things happen and even surprise yourself.

 

BONUS ONE: I do not know enough. I am not good enough. Are you resourceful? Can you find the answer or ask someone who knows? A silver platter is not being held out with a note saying – here it is! You need to get in the game of life. You can learn and find out.

 

The excuses you tell yourself affect your tomorrow. Change the perspective of your excuse and take responsibility for your action. Have you tried changing someone? Doesn’t work so well does it? The only person you can change is YOU! Drop the excuses, get the results that you want, and be victorious!

How Can I Get Started?

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Sometimes I have people come up to me and say that they are just getting started in their businesses and they do not have much money to invest in clothes and specific things. Start small. Get one great outfit. It can be from a consignment store. It can be  something you found on sale. It can be borrowed from your friend. Whatever it is – start! Don’t come up with excuses of why you can’t. Whatever you feel good in and if you are feeling great that is going to exude to the world. When you are feeling great, people are going to feel great around you. You are a reflection of how you feel about yourself when you go out into the world. When you dress and stand with great posture, smile, make eye contact, give that warm handshake, welcome people, and speak highly about yourself and your business, you will have people drawn to you just because of you.   “Be yourself,” as Oscar Wilde says, “because everyone else is taken.”