Excuses.. Part 2

Let's get busy....!

Well it was MAN vs WILD over here today...

Ok, maybe not quite that dramatic...  How about AMY vs THE GARDEN!   .... and no need to eat bark for survival, haha!

... and this was a 'modest' shot!

 As a spur of the moment thing, I decided to tackle the garden today. With my trusty secateurs in one hand, rake in the other and some steely determination, I set out to do a little bit of pruning to find what lay beneath the ivy that was trying to take over the backyard...

You should never underestimate the fury of the garden!!! Nearly two hours later... blistered hands, aching calves, sweat and dirt covered brow... and one VERY full bin (and over 900cals burnt = BONUS!) I finally found some pavers!!

Hey look, I found the chair!!

But it wasn't all "happy happy joy joy" - I started deliberating on what it was that actually drove me out there in the first place...  given how UN-garden oriented I truly am, and I had only planned on mowing the lawns....

Then it dawned on me...   I was "meant" to be working on my 'Excuses' homework. 

Hmmm..... Excuses homework. 

.....................................................................

Despite the fact I made a segue to come and sit still for a while and actually DO my homework...  I found myself back outside in the afternoon heat for ANOTHER sweat session - half hour on the crossy for another 900cals burnt (YAY).   A cold shower and some fluids later....   time to sit down and do some work?!  ... ah yes, but first I have to watch the new season premier of Biggest Loser!!!    (PS: AWESOME!!!!)

.....................................................................

So, you see where I'm going with this....!   It certainly proved to be no issue for me to list over 100 'excuses' when I sat down and started confessing a few days ago (what can I say, I'm honest?!).   But coming up with the other half of this task - the SOLUTIONS - is proving to be really hard!  ... and I've been avoiding it since! 
"Toot, toot!  ... Now arriving, Procrastination Central!"

Knowing that for three years I've been working on my discipline and commitment to my mission - it's been a really big eye opener to realise just how many excuses I'm still throwing around.   MOST of the time, I don't pay heed to them - I get out there and do my exercise anyway, and I still eat well (within reason!)...  so WHY am I so stuck on finding solutions to these piddly excuses that are still getting in my way?!

To 'self-analyse' here, I'm not really surprised that I have these barriers.  Reading through this list, there's alot of the usual excuses: I'm too tired after work; I'm already sore from yesterday's session; I'm too scared to try that.... blah, blah, blah!  (*yawn*)

... but then there's some really harsh, deep ones too like... no-one will want me even if I'm thin because they don't want me now... and I don't know if I deserve to be happy anyway....     Yeah.  The big ones.   ... and probably the one's I'm avoiding?!


A friend of mine on the forums mentioned how she'll be working on hers as she goes through the 12WBT challenge - and it dawned on me that perhaps I'm approaching this in the wrong way.  YES, I've been working hard for three years at making sustained changes, but the excuses that USED to get in my way have also changed. 

This list I've just drawn up are all CURRENT excuses - and all shaped by the behaviours that I've already formed, after fighting for three years!  They've morphed to parallel who I am NOW - are only sub-standard excuses (at that) - and will probably change in the course of the next year anyway as I continue to develop.  The point I missed in the very beginning of why this task is so important - is that these excuses are ongoing - they'll always change, and it's about developing "infrastructure" in the head to get past them!!  

Amen to that!

Watching the Biggest Loser on TV tonight, it was the sexy Commando who said exactly what I needed to hear after mulling on this all day....  

"THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!" 

.... and he's right!   So it's back to pen and paper, time to scrutinise and justify - and create some more awesome behavioural changes to see me through the next chapter of my mission - another step forward in my transition!

OH - and this one's for my awesome support network - our new singlet mantra!!  Thank you girls for the support and encouragement that you throw around so generously - NEVER GIVE UP!   ...I know I won't be!!  (you wouldn't bloody let me even if I wanted to.. hahaha!)
  
xx  :)