Let’s start with a basic physics lesson. Newton’s First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force.
Excuses are a human defense mechanism. In psychology, excuses are known as “rationalizations” and are used to explain controversial or damaging behaviors in a seemingly rational or logical manner in order to avoid the true explanation. In our case, they act as a sort of psychological entropy, keeping a body that is not exercising from beginning to exercise by justifying that it is better not to exercise.
Once you have decided you want or need to get healthier, you need to kill all the excuses to remain unhealthy. Only by killing the excuses can you truly begin the path to better health and wellbeing.
There are Always Excuses
Here are a few Excuses, their possible Rationalizations, and the Sad Truth:
E: “I’ll eat better after the holidays.”
R: “I’ll make it a New Year’s resolution, they always work.”
ST: “I’ll go ahead and add 10 more pounds before starting.”
E: “I’ll start lifting weights next week.”
R: “I’ll start tomorrow, and I mean it this time.”
ST: “Tomorrow is always a day away.”
E: “Just one dessert won’t hurt.”
R: “Cake has milk and eggs, that’s healthy, right?”
ST: “Unless its fruit, it can, and it will set you back.”
E: “I’ll call today my cheat day.”
R: “It’s just a little reward for being good.”
ST: “Cheating is just that, cheating.”
E: “I can skip my bike ride today.”
R: “The weather isn’t the best. I’ll go tomorrow.”
ST: “I’m lazy and unwilling to stick to a habit.”
These are all excuses. And while they may seem valid at the time, when you use one, it becomes easier to rationalize it over and over again.
If you can rationalize waiting a day on Monday, when Tuesday comes around you can rationalize waiting until next week so you can “get started on a Monday.” The cycle can continue indefinitely, because next Monday you can justify waiting until next month so you can get started fresh on the first of the month.
In my case, it took years to get started. Years that took a toll on my body and my health.
Once you have made up your mind to get healthy, to work out, or to eat better, why wait? What are you gaining by waiting? (I’ll tell you the answer, nothing, except maybe more weight).
Adapt and Adjust to Kill Your Excuses
Excuses are just your brain’s way of helping your body avoid the discomfort of doing something outside of your comfort zone. But if your comfort zone has become your couch with a bowl of unhealthy snacks, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Why? Because the more you do it, you’ll find out that Your Comfort Zone is Flexible. It will adapt. And it will probably adapt better than you can imagine.
Unless a doctor has told you not to, there is always a way to power through or adapt your workout. Can’t run? Walk. Can’t walk? Focus on your upper body. What I’m trying to say is, that when you find an excuse not to do something, you either have to KILL IT by ignoring the excuse and doing the task anyway, or KILL IT by finding an alternate way to achieve the same results.
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