As I rode up on a chairlift this morning, I noticed a sign for a ski run called “NO EXCUSE”.  I had a good 20 minutes on the lift to think in the peaceful quiet of the mountains and thought about how I have honored my commitment for the past year.  There have been plenty of excuses that have run through my head but I do not allow them to take over.  I am stronger than my excuses!  What does that mean?  That means that we have to think of a better comeback for each excuse.  Something that is bigger than that excuse has to kick in!

“It’s not about the cards you are dealt, but how you play the hand”. Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture. No matter where we started, no matter our weaknesses, no matter past failures, successful people know that they and only they are responsible for their life. Each day, I must remind not only myself but my accountability group as well that we must be stronger than our excuses. It is so easy to let an excuse get in the way and to justify why we don’t have time to exercise that day. By waking up early, I have found that I am the only one who can get in the way of my daily move time. If it is meant to be then it is up to me. Nothing can stop me other than my own mind. That being said, I must make sure that I get to bed at a decent time, plan my day out, schedule in my exercise time and most importantly, HONOR MY COMMITMENT to myself. I must remember to honor my commitment rather than my feelings. If I honored my feelings when my alarm clock rings at 5:00 AM, I’d stay in bed. Of course I’d like to stay in my warm bed with my head against my soft feather pillow. Who wouldn’t’? However, these are the times when I must be stronger than my excuses and honor that commitment I made to myself. I challenge you, write down a commitment you are making to yourself today. Next time something is about to get in the way, think to yourself ‘am I honoring my commitment or my feelings?’