I remember the exact moment I decided to throw all of my excuses out the window and really start living a happier life.

It was a Monday. I was sitting on my couch, watching The Bachelor (as one does on Mondays). Nothing out of the ordinary had really happened up until that point. I was feeling a little down, a bit grumpy.

As I was watching the show I slowly became overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy. I started crying. In my mind, I was sobbing with a tissue in hand, pointing to the TV and inaudibly blubbering, “Look at these women! They have all their shit together!” Though I don’t really think it went down quite like that.

Looking back, this is hilarious to me, by the way. I was watching The Bachelor, in case I need to remind you. I think it’s pretty obvious at various points during that show people tend to lose their shit.

All of that didn’t really matter to me at the time because I was too focused on how horrible I felt. I was wallowing in my own self-induced misery, throwing myself a nice little pity party.

But this time something changed. In that moment, I realized that no one was going to come save me. If I wanted to change my life, I was going to have to do it myself.

I recently read that epiphanies are “a visceral understanding of something you already know” (Jen Sincero, ladies and gentlemen). This has definitely proven true for me. That “something” that had changed, was simply my frame of mind. The knowledge itself was already there. I knew I had to start taking charge (and do something different) if I really wanted to live a more fulfilling life. I was just finally willing to have an open and honest conversation with myself about what that meant.

That night, I asked myself what I could do right away to help make myself feel better. Obviously, The Bachelor wasn’t going to cut it. So I took a hot shower. I brushed my teeth and bought myself a new book to read on my Kindle. I lit a few candles, made some tea, and instantly felt a weight lift off my chest.

Since that moment, I have started having open, honest conversations with myself on the regular about what needs to happen for me to live a healthier, happier life. And then I have made sure to start acting on them.

What I have learned in the process is that there is plenty out there to stop us from growing and changing. We have a plethora of excuses we can whip out at any point to halt us in our tracks and waste plenty of time doing it. But when we stop paying attention to our excuses, we can use that time to make ourselves better instead. We can learn, grow, and live happier lives. And we can start right away.

So here’s my list of 14 (bullshit) excuses that are holding you back from living your happiest, healthiest life:

aka: Real talk from someone who knows, because… well… I have used them all myself.

1. I don’t have enough time. BAH! This one makes me crazy. Yes, we are all busy people. But we always have time. What we really need to stop doing is saying “yes” to things that don’t light us up completely. More on that here.
2. I’m afraid to put myself out there. I know, it can be scary to leap into the unknown and be seen. But that’s where all the magic happens!
3. People will think I’m weird. Are you being true to yourself? Does what you are about to do make you feel good and happy? Then that’s all that matters! Let your freak flag fly, my friend!
4. I feel like a fraud. Oh man, I can totally relate to this one. When I launched The MKE Sweat Series, I kept thinking to myself, “Who am I to put this thing together?” And then I did it anyway. To this day, that series has given me some of my favorite memories and the most amazing connections. I am so thankful I went for it anyway.
5. I’m not sure what to do next. Don’t know the next step? Start at the end goal and work your way back to the present. When all else fails, google it! Any bit of action will do.
6. I can’t do it. You can’t do it? Or you won’t do it? There is a HUGE difference. The BEST step we can take in changing our lives is loving and believing in ourselves. It may take time. Things won’t turn around overnight. But if you keep at it, you will make progress, and then you’ll look back a year from now and be amazed at all that you have accomplished.
7. Everything is going wrong. Life is going to throw a lot of shit your way. That’s when it is essential that you get back up again. It’s the universe’s way of asking you just how serious you are about changing your life. Double down and show the world that you mean business.
8. I’m lazy. No, you are comfortable. You can’t get where you’re going unless you get out of your comfort zone. “I’m lazy” is the same as simply saying, “I don’t want to.” If it’s really important to you, you’ll get off your butt and make it happen.
9. It’s too hard. Yes, it will be tough. That’s what makes it all worth it! If it was easy, you wouldn’t glean nearly as much satisfaction in the end.
10. Someone else is already doing it better than me. We are all at different points in our journey. Stop comparing someone else’s level 5 to your level 1. You have something different you can bring to the table, because you are uniquely you!
11. It won’t be perfect. And it never will be! Done beats perfect every day.
12. I’m too old (or it’s too late). Is it really too late? There are 70 year old women who didn’t start weight lifting until their 60’s who are completely crushing it in the gym. Don’t believe me? Google that shiz. It’s never too late.
13. I’m not ready. The conditions are never going to be just right. If we all waited until things were perfect, we would be waiting forever.
14. Nobody cares. Really? Nobody? You’re somebody. And you deserve the world. You were put in this earth to do amazing things. So go do them!

The bottom line is this: No one is going to save you. Just like no knight in shining armor was going to come save me, either. If you want to turn your life around, you’re going to have to buck up and do it yourself.

I’m telling you this because I know there were people in my life telling me the same thing when I was at my lowest. I wish I would have listened sooner. It would have saved me a lot of heartache, and a lot of time wasted.

I promise you, the moment you decide to cut the crap, you will feel the same. Why waste any more time on excuses?

xoxo,

Zoe Lauryn