I am the queen of excuses. From the reason I eat so bad (I work hard, I deserve to eat what I want) to the reason I don't work out (I'm not a morning person and my kids and job use up all of my energy so I'm too tired at night). I have an excuse for everything and it's doing me NO favors. I don't hate the way I look, but I'm not happy about it either. I am about 30 lbs. heavier than I was when I got married (back when I referred to myself as a "bigger girl") and I would love to be closer to that weight. I wear a size 14 and I'm pretty okay with that, but I hate that I look like I'm 5 months pregnant (and get a lot of those looks from people.) I don't think it's a crime to be over 30, given birth three times in three years, and have packed on a few pounds. Plus my job involves a lot of sitting, driving, and eating at restaurants and convenience stores. There I go with the excuses again. Ug.
As a new school year starts, I think it's a good time for a resolution. It's going to be weird this year, as I am not actually going back to school, but rather, I am going back to 15 schools and a different one every day. That said, I love the energy of autumn and the anticipation of the school year. To me this time of year is an awesome time to reflect on personal goals and improvements to be made in the upcoming months.
My resolution is simple: No more excuses. I don't want to hear them from myself (that inner voice that justifies all of my negative habits) and I don't want to hear them from those around me either. Do the job at hand. If it is successful, keep doing what you're doing. If you screw up, recognize it, own it, and make the necessary improvements. I am sick to death of justification and reasons for not getting things done.
This goes for myself as much as anyone. Recently I was chewed out by my boss at work. This was a world-class chewing. Took at least 20 minutes and he didn't draw a breath. Five years ago, I would have been in tears. Thankfully my skin is a little thicker and the pressure for me to "practice what I preach" is greater. I took a breath, owned my shortcomings, and vowed to improve. I started taking the necessary steps to improve the situation the very next day. Was I bummed about the chewing? Yes. I give 100% to my job and expect others to do the same. Do I want to serve as an example to my coworkers and colleagues? Yes. Time for me to own it and improve it instead of making excuses that waste time and distract from more important matters.
Cutting out the excuses in my life is not going to be easy. Those inner voices have had a lot of practice and won't be quieted without some effort. As far as everyone else goes, my goal is to lead by example. Hopefully the fewer excuses they hear from me, the fewer I will hear from them. Sounds like a good way to start my favorite season.
UPDATE: In my previous blog, dated June 25, 2013, I described witnessing a car accident. I found out that the woman involved survived the accident. Apparently her accident was caused by a seizure, not distracted driving. She is okay, but she has a long road ahead of her. A benefit to help with her medical costs is being held on September 7, 2013 at the Five Mile Bar in Butte. You can call 406-565-6660 for more information.
