Get Vocal With It

Confession: I make excuses🙈 I know shocking right? This morning I made too many to count. I excused myself from waking up by hitting the alarm clock and continuing to make every excuse I could think of to just get five more minutes of sleep. I excused myself from drinking water— and said “but I need caffeine to wake myself up”. I reasoned myself into 3 cinnamon rolls instead of one—because “hey I mean I never cook cinnamon rolls before school anyway, so today will be a special treat. Let’s not forget the BIG excuse I made as to why I didn’t do the dishes last night.

But this year I’m changing my language: from “quit making excuses” to: “Start making new ones!”

Excuses aren’t BAD! An excuse is just…a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify. There is nothing wrong with giving a reason or explanation. There is nothing wrong with defending or justifying your why, what or how you choose to ________.

We always have a reason for whatever we do or did. That’s OK, that’s a given… and I’m not here ever to make anyone feel ashamed, or guilty for their reason.

However, I do know that our excuses have to change for our actions to change. In other words, our Reasons have to change for our actions to change. Recently I had too many reasons for NOT TRYING some weight loss products. I talking about 6 to 8 months worth of excuses! Just some were—I don’t think they really work, they are more than I want to pay, I’d rather spend my money on xyz. (NONE of those are Bad, wrong or stupid reasons) however, those reasons would and DID hold me back from trying the products. When your why or why not changes though; your actions will follow.

My reasons/excuses for NOT not trying (or rather now trying) had to change for my actions to change. So, I had to give myself new excuses or reasons to decide to do it. Instead I started giving myself reasons TO DO it…like: they are healthy products/ingredients… why not? What if they really do work etc… I see them working with others… After my reasons/excuses had changed—I was willing to allow myself to take a different action.

Any changes we make in our life on vocal or off vocal—We (YOU and I have to change our reasons/excuses first.) and that’s not a negative thing that’s just truth.

So, if you’re to the place where you are wanting something to change; or your needing or wanting a different result… start having that conversation inside yourself…what are the reasons/excuses that are holding me back?—- What do I want to change and what reasons/ excuses do I need to give myself to get there??

Let me help you start by sharing some of the top excuses your human nature will naturally make as you are making new changes.

1. That YOU can’t— we all make this excuse when we are stepping out to do something new. We doubt, we are unsure and we don’t want to fail so we automatically start trying to talk ourselves out of it. Let’s try a new excuse or give ourselves a new reason like—“but I’ll never know if I don’t try”

2. They Can, but I’m not _____. Sure people are different and you could argue that they have this or that going for them. Why not make a new excuse like “I’m not going to let this or that stop me”

3. I don’t have time. Does anyone? LOL let’s change that by excusing ourselves from other things and making the time!

So this year on vocal—the goals that will really help me reach more specific ones…

#1–I’m saying I Can! I Can write and write well. I Can do better. I Can win. I Can inspire. I Can move readers to laugh, cry and think a little bit deeper.

#2–I’m shouting—I’m creative enough, I’m smart enough, I’m ready, I’m willing, I got something they don’t have because hey we all do that is why each one of us are uniquely gifted, qualified and sculpted.

#3–I’m quitting too much TV and I’m going to make time to Create. I’m quitting rationing my time to so many chores— YES say it again mom! I’m giving more responsibility to my kids so that I can make time to create (not more kids) but more masterpieces!

And I guess I won’t leave out my specific ones too—

1. Publish 3 stories a month

2. Write more poetry—and try new poetry forms.

3. Win a challenge—hint hint

This year on vocal—Don’t stop making excuses…just start making NEW ones!