It is time for training. My heart tells me to head out to the roads. But my mind tells me otherwise. Excuses for not training never fail to come up each time I decide to train. Such as,
- I am tired.
- It is going to rain soon.
- I can run later tonight.
- I just had lunch.
- It is ok to miss just a day of training.
- I can always make up the training the following day.
Soon, these thoughts turn into reality and they gradually become a habit. Every day, I have different excuses for not training. Unconsciously, I had developed this losing habit and mindset.
The real reason behind my running excuses
One day, while I was sharing a topic on running with my friends, I realised that I have not been running for a long time. This startled me. Why have I stopped running and given in to my excuses all these while?
Upon reflection, I discovered the real reason behind all my excuses – running is a painful activity for me. I foresaw in my mind that,
- I was going to suffer during the run
- I was going to pant profusely
- I was going to be very tired after the run
All these while, I had focused on the pain from the training. With these negative thoughts in my mind, there was no incentive for me to head out to run.
After a super tiring race trying to keep the lead from a strong runner behind at the Legs and Paddles Race 2003
Shaking away my losing mindset
However, I discovered that if I focused on the gain instead of the pain, there will be lots of incentives for me to run. So instead, I focused on the reasons to run, e.g.
- I want to get fit again
- I want have a healthier life
- I want to have more energy in my daily life
- I want to develop a winning mindset
All these while, I had focused on the pain and not the gain. Once I decided to put my energy and thoughts on the positive benefits, I was able to start running again. Eventually, this process became a winning habit for me.
I could not succeed because I had a losing mindset. Many of us think that going for training means going for suffering. We can have thoughts like,
- If I go for the training, I must sacrifice my work time and my family time.
- During the training, I’ve got to suffer and endure the pain.
- After the training, I will be tired and not able to do anything except to sleep and to rest.
But that is not entirely true! I find that usually after training,
- I become sharper in handling my work
- I am more creative
- I am more efficient
- I have more energy to play with my kid
So it is not a lost but a gain. To train consistently and to be successful consistently, focus on the gain and NOT the pain.
Overcoming excuses for savings & investment
If I compare training and wealth accumulation process, they can be quite similar. Every time you decide to save or invest some money, excuses will start to come up,
- I need to buy that phone
- I need to pay for this bill
- I need the money for a holiday
If you think like this you will feel like you are sacrificing your entitlement when you choose to save. Saving will be a pain.
However if you were to focus on the gain,
- The future house that you can invest
- The security your family will have
- Your future retirement is secure
And eventually more wealth and time
Then you will be able to save and invest successfully. Focusing on the gain turns your losing mindset into a winning mindset.
When you enjoy the accumulation process, and when your bank account numbers go up, you will look forward to it and not detest the sacrifice of saving. It will no longer be a sacrifice, since you can do even more things in your life now.
You will no longer give yourself any excuses when saving or investing. You will be happy and willing to save and to invest. Success begins with a winning mindset. And winning is a habit.