74 - Excuse

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is excuse. I took my daughter to school this week, and we heard people on the local radio station describe times that they’ve deceptively called out sick to work. It was fairly entertaining, but it brought to mind a situation from when I was maybe 19 years old. A friend had gotten me a ticket to see the band Weezer, and I had forgotten that I had agreed to help a guy hang cabinets on the same day as the show. I had a very clear decision. Ditch the work, which included leaving the guy trying to hang cabinets on his own, or follow through on my commitment. It was a little gut wrenching, but somehow my 19 year old self chose to forgo the Weezer show. I’ve still never seen them live, but I don’t regret the decision.

Today’s concrete challenge is to remove excuses. They are a coverup of the truth, and you’d only need them if you’re scared of the truth. You’re not, though. Excuses have become a social norm, but they leave people doubting your sincerity. When you tell someone that you cannot attend their event, just say, “I’m sorry; I can’t commit to that.”

If you want to commit to this practice, say the following phrase: “I will tell the truth today.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who doesn’t use the crutch of excuses.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.