Do You Suffer From ‘Excusitis’?
When I was in medical school, we were required to learn how to describe many aspects of disease and disorder, using a specific ‘medical’ language. Words that end in ‘itis’ for example signal inflammation or infection of a particular part of the body. So infected tonsils become known as tonsillitis, an inflamed appendix is called appendicitis, infected skin known as cellulitis and so on.
Well I have met many people who have ‘itis’ of their thinking and belief systems when they become derailed and distracted by distorted ideas and infected with insecurity.
For example comparing yourself unfavourably to others, triggering feelings of envy and needless negativity can lead to what I call ‘Compareitis.’
Having a sense of entitlement can cause ‘Entitleitis’. And of course all those excuses for staying stuck – ‘Excusitis’. Any of this sound familiar?
Do you suffer from ‘Excusitis’ ?
Could change, should change, don’t change. Could exercise more, should exercise more, don’t exercise more!
The word mediocrity comes from the Greek ‘medius ocris’, meaning half way up the mountain. Not fulfilling your potential. Staying stuck.
What’s your excuse, the belief that’s holding you back right now in your life? Stopping you from climbing your mountain to become a better version of you. Not a perfect version because the idea of perfection is in itself self-defeating. Practice makes improvement, not perfection.
Maybe you are waiting for the right timing, the right season, or right circumstances to start; some non-specific time in the future when you are less busy or preoccupied with some other ‘urgent’ stuff.
Let me share a little secret with you.
The time is rarely if ever perfect to start. There’s always the busyness of life to occupy your time and energy.
Unless or until you are able to see your excuses as what they really are – stories you have sold yourself so you can stay stuck in the same old, same old – then you will never have the possibility of creating meaningful change in your life.
Today I’d like to quickly share a belief that used to hold me back.
‘Procrastinitis’, putting things off, paying attention to your inner critic that paralyses your creativity, keeping you stuck right where you are. Paralysed by a mindset that says there is no point in starting unless the perfect outcome can be guaranteed.
You see, when I was younger I fell victim to this mindset too. The fixed mindset, black or white, all or nothing thinking.
And as for making life changes, my stock-in-trade excuse was often that the timing was not right or that things ‘out there’ needed to change first. Whereas truthfully I needed to change ‘in here’ by changing my world view. Learning and really understanding that the only person I can change in this life is myself and having the courage to do that has been a real game-changer for me.
Now, the timing might not be right for many things that you or I would like to do. Most of the time that doesn’t matter. There is still usually a way forward.
So today, just take 1 minute and ask yourself:
What have you been postponing or procrastinating for some time now? What are your excuses? Are you going to release those excuses and treat your ‘excusitis’ by taking action & starting. Moving forward, inch by inch, day by day, week by week.
Maybe you want to :
#set a new goal for your fitness and get back into better shape;
#subscribe to that course on creative writing;
#start your own small business venture;
#solve a challenging situation in your life;
#simply begin to work on your relationship with yourself.
#something you have wanted to take action on for months or even
years now to move forward and improve your life?
Then choose to do something about it today.
Just Start.
Acknowledge & Face Your Fears. You’re a human being! Experiencing Fear is normal. Accept that its not the ideal time and that the outcome is far from guaranteed. And then begin anyway. Just start.
That’s totally OK. That’s how life mostly is for most people.
Just start even if (especially if) you don’t feel like it. Your primitive brain never likes change and will actively resist you.
Never mind, just start and soon those small baby steps will build momentum that support a better version of you. Progress. Growth. Forward Momentum. Not perfect. Not risk free but so so worth it!
Life is not a dress rehearsal. Life is happening right now as you are reading this. So what are you waiting for? What is just one small step that you can take today to move you forward?
Let go of your ‘Excusitis.’ Just start and see what happens. Just start!
