029 The Magic Of Thinking And Acting BIG - Episode 3 How To Overcome Excusitis

01/21/20 • 25 min

In my latest episode How To Overcome Excusitis, I will look at how this disease affects every single once of us, and how we can treat it.

It’s an epidemic which is so widespread that we barely notice it.

It is the disease of Excusitis – of finding and making excuses for not taking action or for giving in to temptation.

The term excusitis was first coined by David Schwartz in his book, The Magic of Thinking Big which has inspired my latest series of podcasts.

In the book, Schwartz listed the common excuses he would come across – Most of which are just as prevalent today:

Age – I’m too old (or too young) to do this....
Health – I’d do it if but I’m not fit enough...
Ability – I’m not smart enough/ I don’t have the skills....
Luck – I’m just not lucky....
Time – I’m too busy....

Not one of these is true!

There are a couple of other excuses, which I come across quite often too:

Confidence - What will others think?
Lazy – I don’t feel like it. I can’t be bothered’ Doing what everyone else is doing
Conformity – Go on (or don’t bother) it’s... (Christmas, Your Birthday, the weekend, Friday, Monday...)

An excuse is an interesting thing. We use them to hold ourselves back and to prevent us from taking action. Why would we do that?

Part of it is coming from that primal part of us which wants us to stay safe and in one place. By not taking action, we are not inviting a risk. This is a habit we learn very early on.

The most powerful driver of excuses, however, is fear. An excuse is a way of distancing yourself from blame. It is a reason not to take action. I couldn’t take action because.... And suddenly it isn’t your fault.

In part 3 of this series, I will show you how to tackle excuses and eradicate them from your life.

There is a helpful tool you can use here: The Two Minute Rule. If something will take you less than two minutes to complete (there or thereabouts, it doesn’t need to be an exact time) then do it right now. Don’t add it to a list or put it off until tomorrow. Answer that email right now; put the plates in the dishwasher; File those documents

A great variation on this is to ‘just do two minutes’ – if you don’t feel like doing something which has an open-ended timeframe (like exercise) say to yourself “I’ll just do two minutes.” You’d be amazed how much better you feel the moment you’ve started and the two minutes you planned will last far longer.

When you catch yourself in an excuse image how you will feel if you take action anyway.

So think about how you will feel after you have taken action and use that to drive you forward. See the future you are working towards, whether that is a thriving business, a toned and healthy body, a relationship with someone special or something else.

By focusing on what you want will take you to the point when the excuses don’t matter because nothing is going to stop you.

If you want to learn more about how to think and act big, take a look at my free online coaching video at petecohen.com/coaching and book a call with me to see how you can surround yourself with a community of people who don’t let excuses get in their way.

In my latest episode How To Overcome Excusitis, I will look at how this disease affects every single once of us, and how we can treat it.

It’s an epidemic which is so widespread that we barely notice it.

It is the disease of Excusitis – of finding and making excuses for not taking action or for giving in to temptation.

The term excusitis was first coined by David Schwartz in his book, The Magic of Thinking Big which has inspired my latest series of podcasts.

In the book, Schwartz listed the common excuses he would come across – Most of which are just as prevalent today:

Age – I’m too old (or too young) to do this....
Health – I’d do it if but I’m not fit enough...
Ability – I’m not smart enough/ I don’t have the skills....
Luck – I’m just not lucky....
Time – I’m too busy....

Not one of these is true!

There are a couple of other excuses, which I come across quite often too:

Confidence - What will others think?
Lazy – I don’t feel like it. I can’t be bothered’ Doing what everyone else is doing
Conformity – Go on (or don’t bother) it’s... (Christmas, Your Birthday, the weekend, Friday, Monday...)

An excuse is an interesting thing. We use them to hold ourselves back and to prevent us from taking action. Why would we do that?

Part of it is coming from that primal part of us which wants us to stay safe and in one place. By not taking action, we are not inviting a risk. This is a habit we learn very early on.

In part 3 of this series, I will show you how to tackle excuses and eradicate them from your life.

When you catch yourself in an excuse image how you will feel if you take action anyway.

By focusing on what you want will take you to the point when the excuses don’t matter because nothing is going to stop you.

Previous Episode

028 The Magic Of Thinking And Acting BIG - Episode 2 - How To Think Greater Than You Feel

In my latest episode How To Think Greater Than You Feel, I will look at how I believe that human beings have incredible potential to achieve anything.

Every one of us has the opportunity to grow, contribute, makea difference and to move towards a life that excites and inspires us.

The mind is a powerful thing – it is your brain in action. Take a moment to see what your brain is up to right now.

Lots of different thoughts, yes?

Did I pay that bill? My foot is itching? What time do I need to leave to collect the kids? I could add in something about mindset in that report for work. Has anyone liked my post on Facebook?

In part 2 of this inspiring podcast series you will learn:

-Thoughts are all over the place and they have a massive impact on everything else that is going on for you.

-Why it is so important to become aware of your thoughts and what they are doing to you.

-You are the bouncer for your mind and you have the power to choose what happens with your thoughts.

Awareness is critical and you have the power to choose how you respond.

What you want to feel more of the time.

Just for a moment, focus on a single thought – the thought of excitement. Think of something in your past that was really exciting: your sixth birthday party; the great New Year’s party you went to; the promotion at work... anything.

How do you feel? Tingling in your toes? bubbling in your stomach? Lightness across your chest and shoulders?

Those are your body’s way of managing the thought. Thoughts produce feelings.

So what happens when you think: I’m going to be late? Stress; tightness; pain.

And it is a vicious circle. You may not realise that the pain you feel is because you were worried you were going to be late. So now you have a thought of I’m in pain – is there something wrong with me? That generates more stress, tightness and... pain.

You can end up in a spiral of negative feelings from which it is really hard to escape.

Here are just a few ways to think greater than you feel:

Spend a few moments every day thinking about what you are grateful for
Imagine how you will feel when you achieve one of your goals
Do something to make you laugh
Smile – even if you don’t feel like it right now, you will the moment you physically change the shape of your face
Do something you don’t feel like doing – you’ll feel great for having achieved it.

"Take action - not now but right now! All our podcasts are available at; https://petecohen.com/podcast/ You can subscribe for podcasts here and receive our weekly newsletter to keep you inspired. I help everyday people achieve their goals & dreams! Helping and coaching people is my expertise. And it is VERY satisfying to change people’s lives so they improve and change their health, finances, relationships, confidence and mindset. You can also check out our brand new free case study: “3 Steps To Closing The Gap Between Where You Are And Where You Want To Be” https://petecohen.com/coaching/ In This Short Case Study Training You Will Learn How Create the Future You Want For Your Business And Your Life. Connect With Me! Come join our free Pete Cohen Podcast Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/223961357935535/ Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/ About Pete Cohen: Pete Cohen is one of the world’s leading life coaches and keynote speakers. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have been motivated and inspired by Pete’s presentations. He has professionally impacted on the lives of thousands of people worldwide, including business executives, professional athletes and the everyday person. Pete focuses on the importance of closing the gap in our lives between where we are and where we want to be both personally and professionally. It’s then all about coaching you to remove the obstacles that are in your way and helping you install the habits of success. He is the author of 19 published books, several of which have been best-sellers across the world, including Shut the Duck Up, Habit Busting, Life DIY and Sort Your Life Out. He has also presented his own show on TV called The Coach and was the resident Life Coach on GMTV for 12 years. His new book Inspirators - Leading The Way In Leadership is available for free here https://book.petecohen.com/

Next Episode

030 The Magic Of Thinking And Acting BIG - Episode 4 - How To Have Unstoppable Stickability

How To Have Unstoppable Stickability, is the final instalment of my 4 part podcast series. I will look at how you all have the potential to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

There is magic within you!

Don’t believe me? Then just spend a few moments contemplating your mind and body. Consider all that is going on – oxygen moving from the air, to the lungs, the blood, to the brain; your body alive and vital; your brain keeping it all working; your mind coming up with ideas and making decisions every moment of every day.

Magical, yes? So let me ask you – are you making the most of it all?

I once had the privilege to interview someone who was suffering from a terminal illness. She was at the end of her life and the conversation we had was deeply moving. The most profound moment was when she told me that she had spent her life doing what others expected of her – and that she wished she’d lived her life differently.

We all have the opportunity to do more, to be more and to make a difference. We all have the potential to close that gap – the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

That is what this series on The Magic of Thinking and Acting Big is all about.

Stick at it

David Schwartz says in his book The Magic of Thinking Big that 95% ability is ‘stickability.’ I’m sure you know what he means.

You set a goal or make a new year’s resolution and start taking action. But it gets difficult or someone who matters to us thinks we are crazy or we just get distracted.

There is always something else to think about. It’s hardly surprising. We are living in a world where everyone wants your attention. Someone recently estimated that every one of us is bombarded with the equivalent of 7 editions of The Telegraph every single day. All of it full of reasons why it isn’t worth trying, stories of those who have tried and failed, world disasters and... videos of kittens!

No wonder we give up on that difficult path to our dreams, and settle back into comfort.

Stickability seems far too much like hard work.

Obstacles are the way

In this podcast episode, you will hear from my good friend, Joe De Sena talking about his committment to getting people moving. As he travels the world on his mission, he carried with him a 20Kg kettle bell. Why? “Because,” He says, “Life is hard.”

But hard isn’t impossible. Every one of us faces adversity at some point in our lives. I’m sure, if you think about it, you can remember some tough times in your life. Perhaps you lost a loved one or had a difficult relationship with someone or a work challenge or a health issue or something else. But you are still here.

And you are stronger for it. You know more and can do more as a result. You probably did things you never thought possible and really showed stickability to come out the other side.

Bias towards action

Let me ask you: what does winning mean to you? What does it mean to ‘win’ at your health, your concentration, your relationships, your business, your wealth?

And what does it take to win? Is winning only possible for those with incredible talent?

Listen to this podcast and hear how Ronnie O’Sullivan, often described as the most talented snooker player in the world, demonstrates incredible stickability.

His success – and the success of every other snooker player – comes from something else. It comes from practice.

Winning isn’t ‘luck’ or ‘talent’ – its hard work. It’s what you do when no one is watching.

Love the process

Just suppose I had a time machine and I could take you into the future so you could see the life you are creating for yourself. There you are, living your dream and having achieved everything you always wanted to. And your future self say to you, “This life is so wonderful and so worth it – but it was hard work to get here.”

If you knew, with absolute certainty, that you’d create that life you want, would you be prepared to do the hard work it would take to get there?

Of course, you would!

Love the practice as well as success. Lovemaking progress for making progress' sake.

In other words – stick at it!

If you want to close the gap and be unstoppable every day then check out my free training at coaching.petecohen.com and arrange to speak to me to see how to grow your stackability.

"Take action - not now but right now! All our podcasts are available at; https://petecohen.com/podcast/ You can subscribe for podcasts here and receive our weekly newsletter to keep you inspired.

I help everyday people achieve their goals & dreams! Helping and coaching people is my expertise. And it is VERY satisfying to change people’s lives so they improve and change their health, finances, relationships, confidence and mindset.

You can also check out our brand new free cas...