What are you doing when nobody is looking? Not much? Procrastinating? Putting it off? Malingering?
Do you have mad game and come up with justifications to explain yourself later?
Are you coming up with reasons why you can’t, shouldn’t, won’t do something? Are you using your past history dictate to you what you can or can’t achieve?
Do you make stuff up, exaggerate what you did or are doing so that the people who you THINK are “looking” will be impressed?
Truth be told, the people who you THINK are looking AREN’T! They are usually out making it happen. Getting it done.
NO LIMITS.
The only people looking are the ones you pay to look…like my Tri Coach. Oh, when I’m all by myself, there is no slacking – HE IS LOOKING. And he is gonna KNOW that I misrepresented what I said because it will reflect in something later. As Bruce Lee so eloquently put – those limits, those lies, those excuses you come up with – will show up later somewhere. They will show up on your next race, in your career, in your relationship, in your life.
REMOVE THE LIMITS.
I will be the first to tell you that I have procrastinated or not wanted to do something that needed to get done. I have gotten much better at acknowledging it for what it is – I just don’t want to – accepting it and accepting the consequences. Life gets in the way. I have obligations, duty, family, home. Things happen and I have to adapt, improvise, overcome. What I have stopped doing is coming up with elaborate reasons why or excuses.
- That niggle in my knee just keeps me from XYZ
- I was treated so badly by ___________ that I just can’t do that, go there, be that
- I don’t know how to do _____________ and I’m too old to learn something new
- What would I do with my hair (I LOVE that one)
- I can’t afford it. (but you could afford those new shoes, eh?)
- I so busy.
- I’m tired.
- I don’t have time to fit ___________ in.
The list could go on and on. If I’m injured – okay – but what can I do in other areas while my injury heals? If I’m sick – okay – let’s get better and while recuperating let’s revamp that game plan (business plan, nutrition plan, any plan).
See…I agree with Bruce Lee. There are NO LIMITS. Only plateaus…and we MUST go beyond them if we are to grow. As Yoda says – DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY.
I spent the weekend with two Pro Triathletes. The reason they are Champions is because they don’t make excuses, they have NO LIMITS. They do what they need to do, even when nobody is looking.
I am a work in progress. The journey is awesome.
What LIMITS (excuses) are you placing on yourself that are holding you back from achieving?
