37: Expect Excuses

The human brain is wired to make excuses, meaning excuses that keep you from making changes toward good health and wellbeing. Whether you find yourself repeating, “I’m too busy” or “I’m too tired”, these excuses keep you from the energy, clarity and confidence you deserve. In this solo episode with Meg Durham, you’ll learn what you can do to move past excuses for better wellbeing.

So what’s this episode really about

• Why excuses can hold us back from what we want to experience in this life.
• How and why excuses tend to pop up at the most inconvenient times.
• What you can do to navigate your go-to excuses so you can feel, function and relate better.

Why you should listen

Excuses are more powerful than you may think. They are hardwired in our brains to help us stay “safe” by keeping us in the same routine day in and day out. As Meg Durham articulates concisely in this episode under 15 minutes, the issue with the brain’s logic is that it does not care what the behaviour is, only that it is predictable behaviour. So even if your routine isn’t healthy for you, your excuses will pop up every time your wiser self knows it’s time to change. From this episode, you’ll learn that your awareness of the excuses will allow you to move past them to pursue a life of better wellbeing.

Actionable Skills

• Identify your go-to excuses (energy, time, and weather are the most common)
• Expect excuses and do it anyway! Getting over the initial hurdle is the first and most significant part of the change process.
• You don’t have to make the change overnight. Break it down into smaller and more manageable tasks, one day at a time.

You can quote us on that…

“Excuses are a very healthy and predictable part of the human experience.”

Meg Durham

“We need to learn to move beyond our excuses in order to feel, function and relate better.”

Meg Durham

“Our brain is not wired for our long-term health and happiness.”

Meg Durham

Want to learn more?

The learning doesn’t have to stop here. Get your free dose of wellbeing education in your inbox with Meg’s Thought Of The Week. Click here to subscribe.

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