Mastering the Inner Voice: Winning the Battle of Self-Control

Silencing Excuses

I was deep into emailing schools for author visits for Read Across America month, sitting longer than I probably should have. I had just reached number 90 on my Excel sheet of school librarians when a thought popped into my head: When I hit 100, maybe I’ll go for a run.

Instantly, a voice inside responded: Yeah, let’s go for a run!

But before I could even process that, another flood of voices rushed in:

• Don’t commit to that—you hate running.

• Why break your focus? You’re on a roll.

• Just keep going—momentum is everything.

Like Coach Mac used to say at Team Eagle One, All excuses are logical. They always sound reasonable. But the stronger your mental fitness, the easier it is to control yourself instead of giving in. And the way to strengthen mental fitness? Do the opposite of what the voices tell you.

The moment my mind started convincing me not to run, I committed to running. Nope, I’m going. It’s good for me. I’ve been sitting too long. Time to move.

Your Body Will Try to Trick You

As I kept emailing, I noticed something: my body started slowing down. Without thinking, I was typing slower, dragging out the task. It was like my body knew that hitting 100 meant getting up, and it was stalling.

That’s when I caught myself. Nope, pick up the pace. The faster I finish, the faster I run and get it over with. I forced myself to type faster, focused on the goal.

Then, I hit 100 emails. And just as expected, a new set of voices chimed in:

• You’re on a roll—just do a few more.

• You can run later.

No. I committed. That means I go.

I stood up and walked to the door. The moment I opened it, the cold air hit me. I was in shorts. More excuses poured in:

• It’s too cold—just wait until tomorrow when it’s warmer.

• You don’t need to do this today.

I spoke out loud: The faster I run, the warmer I’ll be. Let’s go.

Overcoming Resistance—Physically and Mentally

I started running. Immediately, I felt it:

• The wind pushing against me.

• The cold burning my legs.

• My body wanting to slow down, to stop, to walk.

My mind jumped in: Why are we doing this? Just slow down.

But I had already committed. So, I shut down the noise. Ignore the pain. Ignore the wind. Just put one foot in front of the other.

Then, of course, it started raining.

More excuses showed up:

• You’re going to get soaked.

• Cold and wet is not a good combo.

• Seriously, just do it tomorrow.

I countered immediately: I’m not going to die if I run in the rain. And if I don’t want to get soaked, I better run faster.

The Halfway Point—Where the Mind Fights the Hardest

I was running around a lake, and when I hit the halfway point, I wanted to stop. I always feel like the finish line is too far away. And every time, a ridiculous thought crosses my mind: Maybe I should just swim across instead.

Logically, that makes zero sense.

• It would take longer.

• It would be freezing.

• I’d be drenched—way worse than the drizzle.

Yet, my brain still offers it up as an option.

That’s how the mind works—it searches for an escape route when things get tough, even if the alternative is worse. I ignored the thought and kept running.

As I neared the end, I picked up the pace. Why? Because when it’s almost over, you push harder, not slower.

I finished. One mile.

Winning the Battle Against Yourself

I laughed when I finished because just that morning, I had written in my journal about possibly doing a marathon. The idea is hilarious because one mile is already a struggle—but I did it.

More importantly, I controlled myself.

I didn’t let my mind talk me out of something that was good for me.

Follow Through Before the Excuses Win

When I worked with Randy Veitenheimer, he gave me one of the best pieces of advice:

When a thought comes in, and then excuses follow—follow through on that thought.

If you think about going to the gym and immediately 600 excuses show up, stop and just go.

I’ve been following that advice lately, and the more I do it, the more I realize:

Each time you control yourself, you get stronger.

Stronger mentally.
Stronger physically.
Stronger emotionally.
Stronger spiritually.

And if you can’t control yourself, how can you expect to take on anything bigger?

Listen to the First Voice—Before the Excuses Arrive

The first thought—the one before the doubt, before the excuses—is usually the right one.

The more you listen to that first voice, the better you get at shutting down the resistance before it takes over.

So, what’s the thing you’ve been putting off today?

Listen to that voice—the one before the excuses.

And go do it.