We’re gonna talk about something pretty serious, y’all. Our buts.
No, I didn’t spell it wrong…yes, I want to talk about our buts & what I call “B.U.T.T.” Blocking”. Snicker all you want, but (he-he) it’s a thing. Fasten y’alls seatbelts, ‘cause I’ma ‘bout to explain.
Have you ever noticed that when you want to try something new or set a goal for yourself, your buts talk you right out of it? For example, say you want to loose weight & get in shape: “But, I have a slow metabolism… But, I don’t have anyone to watch the kids… But, I don’t want to do it alone…” It goes on & on. So what happened?
Your BUTs got in the way & more than likely you never even tried to loose that weight or get in shape.
Before we start, let me identify our buts, or as I like to call them, Big Ugly Thieves. Our B.U.Ts simply put, are excuses, procrastinations, & “reasons” why we can’t “logically” do or accomplish something that we know would make our life better. Yes, our B.U.T.s are big ugly thieves! They’re EVERYWHERE! hiding in plain sight & they steal our biggest hopes & dreams right out from under our noses. Worse yet, we accept whatever our B.U.Ts tell us.
Now, everyones B.U.Ts are different, but I would have to say our favorite B.U.T. would be TIME, or at the very least it’s his nasty little crony. What’s scary is that once you combine a Time Troll with a Big Ugly Thief, you wind up with a Big Ugly Time Troll! a.k.a. a really big B.U.T.T. (no pun intended he-he)…
“What’s a Time Troll?”, you ask…
Well, it’s anything we do with our time that is not pushing us toward a life we love.
After all, TIME is the one thing we can’t make more of, we can’t get it back, & we’re only given so many minutes a day…1,440 to be exact. Not to mention that tomorrow’s minutes are not guaranteed.
Our TIME is precious & Time Trolls not only steal it from us, they can also convince us, even trick us into wasting our most precious commodity.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that we’re not only using those 1,440 minutes we’re gifted with every morning on things that we have to do, but also on things that will ultimately make us a happier person? Of course it would!
That’s why we need to find our Big Ugly Time Trolls & go on a full throttle attack to block the lies of the Big Ugly Thief.
I know this is going to sound crazy, but over the next couple of days or even this week we’re going to have to take the time to find the Time Trolls in our lives.
They are hiding everywhere. In our beds, our T.V.s, computers, phones, they may even live next door, or worse yet… you could be your very own Time Troll. The point is to not only find them but to identify when they are stealing your time using the provided printable worksheet.
I’m pretty sure most of your gears are already turning & you’re mentally listing your Time Trolls. That’s great because now you can start thinking about when they come around. Just focus on one or two trolls for now. You can focus on others later.
For me my biggest Time Trolls are mornings & me!
I hate getting up in the morning. Ever heard the saying, “I’d be a morning person, if morning started at noon”? That’s me. I don’t sleep too terribly late,
but I’m a sloooow starter. My worst troll…Me! Yep, me. More like my mouth. ‘Cause man am I a talker, I love people, I’ve never meet a stranger, & I really do not know how to end a conversation. And don’t let the person be interesting or old, cause I’ll loose half of my day listening to their stories.
This is where the Blocking comes in. Now that you’ve found your Time Trolls, when they strike, & how much they’re stealing. You have to ask yourself, “Is this adding rocket fuel to my happiness or is it just wasting time?”. If it’s the latter, it needs to get Blocked. Quick! Fast! & in a Hurry! This is the time to dig your heels in deep & get creative.
Since I’m not a morning person, implementing a nightly routine has greatly helped me in “speeding” up my mornings. I set my coffee pot with my alarm
so that the smell of coffee helps me to stay awake. I shower at night eliminating the need to dry my hair in the morning. Since I’m blow dryer handicapped, I go to bed with wet hair & wake up to dry, ready to style hair. Just these small changes gives me an “extra” hour every morning.
Because I hate to be late, I set little “appointments” for myself throughout the day. This helps me combat my mouth which can strike without warning at a moments notice. This has helped me “end” many a long conversations without feeling rude or cutting the other person short. I still have a long way to go on this one, but at least I’m putting forth the effort.
Get creative with your B.U.T.T. Blockers, no matter how large or small. Just make sure they are pushing you towards your goals.
Let’s face it, instead of 20 minutes on Facebook in the morning, why not grab life by the giggles & educate yourself about your metabolism, or be the cool mom who walks around the block with her kids, versus the one who lives vicariously through reality tv. Better yet, go work out with a friend who’s struggling like you, rather than wasting an hour & a half on Pinterest?
After you’ve identified your B.U.T.T.s, come up
with your own ways & tools to replace them. I’m not saying ban Facebook, reality tv, or Pinterest, I mean who could? What we could do is give ourselves a set amount of time on social media, record our favorite tv shows, & reward ourselves with a “binge”.
It just all boils down to will power… How bad do you want it? Don’t forget consistency… You need to stick with it! That my friends is the key. because when you loose all excuses, you’ll find results, & nothing will be able to keep you from the life you love.
My point? Identify your Time Trolls because only
you can Block your B.U.T.T.s. Just know we’re here, supporting you, cheering for you, & laughing with you along all of our BUTT BLOCKING journeys.
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