In my book "Just Suck It Up," I spend quite a bit of time going over excuses and how they hold people back from succeeding. The most common excuse I hear is "I don't have the time," especially when it comes to starting a new workout program or business, but the second most common one I hear is "I don't have the money." I'm going to explain why this phrase is in fact an excuse and how you can finally get out of your way, find the money, and start moving forward.
Back in 2009 my wife and I were really, really struggling financially. We were actually on foods stamps, relying on them to feed ourselves and our daughter. She required expensive formula that I couldn't afford. Just a year earlier I had started a business from scratch. I wasn't making enough with the business yet because I just couldn't figure it out. I was young at just 24 years old, had no prior business experience, and quite frankly, was a stubborn son of a bitch that wouldn't listen to anyone. Eventually I got out of my own way and realized that I was going to have to get some training if I wanted to take my business to the next level. That training wasn't free. So here I was in a pickle. I told myself that I couldn't afford to purchase any training or travel to training events. Then I stopped myself and realized what I was doing. I was making an excuse.
When there is a will there is a way. Sure, that's cliche, but the statement is still true. When you want something bad enough, when you want to change bad enough, you will somehow find a way to make it happen. That's when I decided to get creative. I sold things online, found every way possible to save a little bit of money here and there, so that I could invest in myself, receive the training that I needed, and get our family out of that situation. We made a ton of changes and sacrifices, allowing me to do what I needed to do. To make a long story short, a year later I was making six figures and got our family off of food stamps. I'm not sure I would have been able to do so if I didn't find the money to invest into myself and business.
"I don't have the money" is a common excuse when it comes to investing in your health. Most people don't know what they're doing in the gym or when it comes to food, so they need something to guide them on the right track. That something is never free, whether that's investing into a complete workout and nutrition plan or just changing your nutrition from fast food to 100% organic. There's always some sort of cost. Even just going to the gym costs something each month. When people say that they don't have the money to invest in their health, what they are really saying is that they aren't ready to make a change. The truth is that if they wanted to change badly enough, they would make the investment because they understand that the investment will bring them an incredible return. That return comes in good health, confidence, more active years, and leading by example for their loved ones. One of the best decisions I ever made was investing $120 in a complete workout and nutrition plan called P90X. It changed my life forever. Not only did I get into the best shape of my life, it led me to becoming an online fitness coach and recommending complete plans to others, helping them make incredible changes like I did. Below is actually one of my transformations with one of our programs after I dealt with Lyme Disease back in 2016. If you'd like me to recommend a complete plan for you, just email me at Josh@JoshSpencer.com. But the point is that if I would have kept saying "I don't have the money," I would never be in the situation I'm in now with my health and business.
Sometimes you will have to get creative like I did so that you can make it happen. One of the best and easiest ways to do so is something I heard from Gary Vaynerchuk. He suggested going to garage sales each weekend, purchasing items super cheap and turning around and selling them online for profit. In just one weekend, if you do your research and buy things at the right price, you can easily make an extra few hundred bucks. That's just one idea of thousands and thousands for you to earn extra money. But again, you have to think outside the box.
Remember, if you want something bad enough, you will find a way to afford it. If you keep telling yourself "I don't have the money," you're always going to remain in the same situation that you're in now. For some people, that's not a good situation to be in. Excuses will always hold you back from reaching your full potential! Always find a way to invest in yourself it it's something that's very important to you and could potentially change your life.
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