When the Excuses Come

This is what life looks like while I blog: As the morning sun streams through my window I open up my laptop, sit in my corner chair with a cozy blanket and my steaming hot cup of coffee....

with my two year old hanging over my shoulder handing me the TV remote: 

I want Blippi, Mom.

Okay. Hold on.

Mama, I want watch Blippi.(begins tapping the remote on the keyboard)

 While erasing kljjllklkjkjkkljjl that the toddler typed with the remote  ...No Asher, don't hit the computer. Can you be patient?

MAMA I WANT Bliiiiiiipppppiii!

Ok. I'm getting it for you.

[set down computer and take 5 minutes to find the perfect episode of Blippi.]

Open up my computer, again.

The 6 and 9 year old then come downstairs, "Mom can we have pancakes for breakfast?

Yes. (surely I can make pancakes and type a blog post at the same time? So I take the computer with me to the kitchen.) 

I can't. 

They eat while I stand at the kitchen counter and begin to type on the laptop, periodically tossing more pancakes on their plates as they disappear. 

Computer message pops up saying my battery life is going to die if I don't plug it in. 

I return it to the charger by the chair. "Oh yeah. There's my coffee." 

Leave computer charging and head back to kitchen to microwave coffee and clean up pancakes. 

[Get everyone dressed, leave for morning errands, come back and make lunch, get the toddler to nap, finish eating my lunch and clean the kitchen]

Return to computer. Sit down to blog.

"Mom can I have chocolate milk and a snack?"

End scene.

That's really what today looked like. I thought I'd document it. Not to complain but to show you that it would be easy for me to have an excuse: 

I'm too busy.

I don't have time.

No one's going to read this.

I'll just wait until the boys are back in school, then it'll be easier. 

There's a quote, and I'm not sure who said it so if it's you let me know so I can give you proper credit. The quote is: If you want it you'll find a way, If you don't you'll find an excuse.

Ouch. 

Man, It's SO much easier to say "I can't concentrate on this right now. I'll do it tomorrow." I'm finding that especially hard if you work for yourself - no tangible deadlines to meet, no boss that will fire you for not getting work done. 

What's stopping you from reaching your goals? Let's call it for what it is - an excuse. 

So how do we get past our excuses? I think, (And I'm just typing here.) I think we call them to light. Because things that are in the light can't hide in the dark.

1. What are your favorite excuses? Let's call them to light. When things get hard, what's your "go-to"?

Is it I don't have time? I'm not good at relationships? I suck at dieting? I don't have enough money? Whatever your excuse is know it and call it out. 

2. The reality is it's all on you. Know yourself to lead yourself. If you know where your mind goes when you are stressed or insecure and you feel the excuses start to rise, cover it with truth. 

"I don't have time." ACTUALLY, I do. I just need to be a good steward of my time. I should probably put my phone on airplane mode so I don't check that text and then find myself an hour later watching random videos on Facebook.

"I don't have enough money." ACTUALLY, I do. I could probably limit my lattes and eat out only on Saturday. I can go entire year without buying myself shoes. I can budget and save. And it won't be fun but it'll be worth the investment. 

If you want it bad enough. You'll find a way. Don't listen to the lies of excuses. 

My husband always tells me, "Don't despise small beginnings." I want to see the final picture. I want to know that the hours I'm devoting day after day are going to amount to anything of value. Because if they don't, Bye Felicia. I've got other things I can do. 

But that's not faith is it? Ugh. Take this site for example.  God started a tiny flame in my heart and I just started going. One foot after another. I'm just a few days in.  I have no clue what this will look like 5 years from now. What if I quit today? I'll never know.  I don't think God would punish me for it, but I certainly wouldn't see the work he has in store for me and for so many others if I tell Him, "look God. I'm too busy. I've got syrupy pancake plates to clean." You see what I mean? 

Dreaming is the easy part. Going after the dream is hard. Allowing the excuses to let you quit is the easy part. Ignoring your favorite lies is the hard part. 

But here's the thing. There's too much at stake. It's going to be uncomfortable. It's going to vulnerable. It's going to be really hard. But you need to start. And then you need to keep going one foot after another. If you don't, if you let the excuses win, you'll never reach the top of the mountain. And I bet the view is a lot prettier up there.