Coach's Playbook: The Best of the Worst Excuses

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else." Benjamin Franklin

For the past several weeks, we've been working through ways to overcome common excuses that can get in the way of your training. To close our series, we thought we'd leave you laughing! Here's a list of the top 5 most entertaining excuses we've had the pleasure to hear as coaches:

1. "It's just been so busy with back-to-school: Often, a perfectly legitimate reason to fall a wee bit behind on training, but this learner did not work at a school or have children.

2. "I've been planning my birthday party." We found out later that this learner's birthday had already passed us by, 3 months prior.

3. "I've just been partying a little too hard lately." Okay, it was around the holidays, but really? I mean, how much egg nog can one drink? But points for honesty!

4. "Sorry if I'm a mess, I've been high on sour cream and PCP." To be clear, this learner was joking about the PCP, at least we think he was.

5. "Sorry. I was just too ashamed to answer the call." Points for honesty, but as coaches, we're not in the business of shaming people here! You can always answer when we call!

And our tips to help you avoid ending up in our excuses "Hall of Lame":

1. Set your goal and then prioritize it!

2. Create a list of the most common daily or weekly priorities you face and rank them with training near the top. If you ever find yourself wavering on your training because you don't have time, refer back to your list! Everything below training can be put off for the 30 minutes or hour you need to spend training.

3. Create a list of the excuses that get in the way of your training. Then, write down ways to get around or solve each excuse. The next time you find yourself tempted to use an excuse, employ your strategies to get around it!

4. Consciously choose positivity! Make a conscious choice to see your training as an opportunity! A positive attitude will empower you to push through barriers, overcome challenges, and (perhaps most importantly) believe in your ability to be successful.

5. Stop hesitating! The next time you find yourself thinking, "I should really be training right now," go train! The instant that thought pops into your mind, act!

6. Invite accountability from your friends and colleagues! If your friends and family members regularly ask you about training, you're more likely to buckle down!

7. Trust your training! You may occasionally feel overwhelmed by training. Give yourself permission to take baby steps in those moments. Trust that, in the end, your training will be holistic and complete. It might not make sense at the beginning, but it will come together in the end!