Better Future? Better Start Now!

Famous Hockey Star Wayne Gretsky once said, "You
miss 100% of the shots you never take." Famous
Southern mother (mine) frequently said, "You can't
win if you don't play". Those words often still ring in
my ears today - Am I willing to agree to losing by not
at least trying, I ask myself.

Many times I've heard myself complain, "I'm trying
so hard, but nothing seems to be happening." When it
actually comes down to it, however, what I'm doing
is thinking about it a lot - not actually doing anything
towards it.

When you don't try something, when you never start
towards your goal, when you put-off and wait-out
your dreams, you are AGREEING to lose, to not have
it. Starting is the most important part of achieving
your best life. If you want a better future, it begins
today. It doesn't matter where you start -- it matters
that you start. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Just
Start.

Consider where your life is at this moment in
reference to your goal, and if need be, start very
small. Put $1 into an envelope each week as a
savings plan. Take a 10 minute walk. Clean out a
drawer. Make a phone call. Delegate a job. If you
can, take a much larger step, like putting $100 each
week into a savings account, or walking for 30
minutes or hiring some help. We all get too hung up
on what we do, or how much we do. It doesn't matter
what you do --just do! Move forward.

Are you sitting at home waiting on Mr. or Ms. Right?
Mr/Ms. Right could be down at the corner bowling
alley, or in the local church, or in the neighborhood
restaurant RIGHT NOW. Are you waiting on your
next raise, or the kids to grow up, or the economy to
get better before you decide to work on your goals?

As difficult and painful as it is to hear, you must
understand that by waiting on things to happen you
have chosen to give your life over to circumstance.
You agree to let something else make your decision
for you - fear, money, resentment, anger,
consequences, etc.

Every time you slip, or get off track, Start Again.
Keep trying. If one thing doesn't work, try something
else. You will find what works for you. Consider
how many different shampoos you have had in your
life. What worked for you at one time, doesn't work
any more, but that doesn't mean you stop using
shampoo!! How many movies do you watch before
you find one you love? How many different
restaurants have you visited before you find one that
has everything you want? Isn't the quality of your life
worth putting at least as much energy into finding
what works as the amount of energy you put into
choosing shampoo or movies or restaurants?

Don't AGREE to lose out on what's important to you
Take one step right now towards your goal. Make a
phone call, clean out a drawer, schedule in some gym
time, take $1 and put it into an envelope in your
underwear drawer. Imagine if you repeated that very
same small step each day for the next 365 days.
Where would you be 1 year from now? Imagine if
you don't do anything -- where will you be 1 year
from now? 1 year from now is still going to come -
where will you be when it does?

Better future? Better start now! Start trying new
things. Start eliminating the old. Start bringing in the
new.