Step inside our life and you will see that Karel and I are not the type of people who make excuses. Karel came to the U.S. with only a backpack and a dream. Karel's work ethic for everything he does is outstanding and he is not one for the easy way.
I spent 10 (expensive) higher educational years in school, only to be equipped with the right knowledge to start my own small business. I have always been an entrepreneur as I strive off projects and ideas coming to life. But if you are your own boss, you better expect to work really hard if you want things to happen.
Our stories may not be unlike many of you reading this post right now. You got to where you are because of hard work and dedication.
There are so many no-excuses type of people in this world and I'm sure you can agree, there is a lot of contagious energy to gain from those who have full commitment to whatever it is they are focused on in life.
There are so many no-excuses type of people in this world and I'm sure you can agree, there is a lot of contagious energy to gain from those who have full commitment to whatever it is they are focused on in life.
Are you one of them?
So what does this mean - to have a no-excuse type of attitude?
Does it mean that we want to win at all cost or carry the tittle "Bad A$$" wherever we go? Does this mean we suffer through everything just to get it done or we push through and never rest? Does this mean we sacrifice things in life to focus on ourselves so we can reach our goals? Does this mean we take risks all the time? Are we selfish with our own lifestyle because we don't have the time/energy to spend on anything that isn't beneficial for us? Does this mean we feel guilty if we have to change our plans?
Absolutely not.
Karel and I are really good at making things happen. There is no guilt or worry when it comes to being off the routine for a day or two or for making modifications based on travel or weather. We stay focused on our goals and know that every life journey has setbacks, obstacles and off days. It's just part of life. However, if you want to make things happen, you have to stop the excuses.
So what excuses are holding you back?
I don't have enough time.
I'm not good/fast enough.
I don't have the right skills.
It's too hard.
It'll take too long to accomplish.
It's too late, I should have started earlier.
I'm waiting for the right time.
I need more motivation.
I don't have enough money.
I don't have enough time.
I'm too tired.
The weather is bad.
The weather is not right.
I don't like this weather.
I'm waiting for the right time.
I need more motivation.
I don't have enough money.
I don't have enough time.
I'm too tired.
The weather is bad.
The weather is not right.
I don't like this weather.
I'll start next week...next month..next year.
I'm too young.
I'm too old.
I'm not smart enough.
I'm too scared.
I have too much going on right now.
I'm so stressed, I can't add something else to my plate.
It's too complicated.
I don't have enough resources.
I know I'll fail.
I don't have enough support.
My work keeps me too busy.
My family keeps me too busy.
My life keeps me too busy.
No one has ever done it before.
Everyone tells me I can't do it.
Everyone tells me I can do it but I know I can't.
This isn't the right time.
I'm too young.
I'm too old.
I'm not smart enough.
I'm too scared.
I have too much going on right now.
I'm so stressed, I can't add something else to my plate.
It's too complicated.
I don't have enough resources.
I know I'll fail.
I don't have enough support.
My work keeps me too busy.
My family keeps me too busy.
My life keeps me too busy.
No one has ever done it before.
Everyone tells me I can't do it.
Everyone tells me I can do it but I know I can't.
This isn't the right time.
In previous blogs, I've talked about the importance of having a go-to list and to also accept and re-create your training environment.
For us athletes (yes, that's you if you are training for a start line), we have to be no-excuses type of people a lot of the time because of how much we ask from our bodies. This trait of being able to get things done can often make us perform really well but this can also be an issue when health or performance is compromised with a risky or stubborn attitude.
Yesterday it was 18 degrees when we woke up. No snow on the ground unlike the way north part of the East Coast but it was extremely windy outside. Karel bundled up and at 9am (when the temperature warmed up to 20 degrees), he went out for his long run of 2 hours. 10 minutes later, Karel came back and said there was no way he would gain anything from that run, it was just too brutally cold and windy for him.
So was Karel making an excuse because of the weather? Is anyone going to tell Karel, to his face, that he wasn't tough enough for the cold? Well, if you know Karel, he is one tough cookie and can suffer unlike most athletes I know. So, I think the smarter question to ask would be "What are our options to get our workout done?"
-Wait until the Y opens at noon and run on the treadmill.
-Get a 1 hour workout done on the bike trainer since we did our long ride on Saturday and just skip the long run this weekend.
-Don't workout at all and cuddle with Campy all day.
Lots of great options but Karel came up with a better idea.
Let's go to Paris Mountain state park (about a 15 minute drive away) and run on the trails! We haven't ran there before but we figured that the trees would block the wind and climbing up and down the trails would be a better way to keep our bodies warm rather than running on the streets of downtown Greenville (or on the swap rabbit paved trail). Plus, it is always fun to try something new!
So I quickly stopped what I was doing on the computer and got myself dressed in my new "winter" clothing (we have had to invest in lots of new clothing since moving from FL to SC in order to be properly dressed when working out outside - no excuses for not being dressed appropriately for outside running and biking in sub 50 degree weather!) and off we went.
The first 10 minutes or so were cold but wow, we warmed up and the run was so much fun! 1 hour and 45 minutes later and 10.5 miles later, we were exhausted and so happy that we did this workout.
We didn't celebrate because because we could simply check off a workout from our training plan but because we felt like this plan B option really gave a positive stress to our body. We also now have a wonderful memory of running on the trails together that we can refer back to anytime we want to be reminded of how much we love running.
Be sure to make good use of your no-excuses mindset this week...and next week...and next month!