No More Excuses

“I have no money”

“I can’t afford to do that”

“Maybe when I pay off ..”

“I’m not good at that”

At some point in my life I have used all of these excuses to prevent me from working on myself. They stopped me from growing professionally.  They stopped me from growing personally.

Each time I said one of them, it made me a little less confident and created doubt in my head as to what I was capable of.  I have heard my friends, family members & coworkers utter these words.  Shortly afterwards it was almost as if I could see a bit of their enthusiasm and confidence float away.  You know what I mean.  One minute you are having a conversation regarding a trip you may want to take or a conference you would like to attend or maybe a business to start.  Maybe it’s what you would do with a million dollars.

As you discuss the benefits of the action, you get excited and your smile grows bigger – you exude happiness.  Then a few seconds later, reality sets in and all you can see are the barriers. Your smile fades and shoulders slump. You have entered the excuse zone.  Now all you can think about are the reasons “why not” instead “how can I make this happen?

This holiday season is a great time to give yourself the gift of no more excuses. No more negativity.  Last year this time I started a new practice that has helped me to remove the obstacle of money.  I call it my  personal improvement savings plan.  

Each month I put aside $30 and this money is earmarked for nothing other than personal improvement.  I classify personal improvement expenditures as items such as:

1.  Personal Growth Books

2.  Magazines and Audiobooks

3. Continuing Education classes for CEUs

4.  Membership fees

While $30 is not a lot of money overall, when you consider that technology makes it easier than ever to access information; $30 can go a long way.  Each month when I look at the $30 transfer I am reminded that I am making an investment in myself and my future.  I am reminding myself that excuses are no longer allowed and growth is the expectation.

Til next time,

An investment in yourself is money well spent