"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago."

How many things do you wish you started a long time ago?  Maybe it was a workout routine that would’ve helped with your half-marathon training, or maybe you wish you would’ve attended meetups and events to meet new people when you first moved to a new city.  If that sounds like you it’s okay, because there is an addition to the quote that I want to share.  “The second best time to plant a tree is today.”

We all come up with reasons why we shouldn’t do something, or why now is not the right time.  This self-talk creates an insurmountable tendency to procrastinate and put off that thing you want to do for too long.  For instance, I wish that I had been running Facebook Ads for Self Improvement Daily all this time to help my audience grow.  But I didn’t, and the next best thing to do is change my behavior today and just start.

In an ideal world, I have already put in the groundwork and can now be reaping the benefits of it. However, building the foundation is a requirement, and it won’t happen on its own. It’s crazy to think about how quickly things change. Maybe you’ll be seeing the results of that work way sooner than you expected.

So, do a little introspection, and think about what that thing is that you want to have, be, or do.  Once you have identified that, make a plan and start tomorrow working toward it.  Don’t listen to the reasons why you can’t, and have faith that the process will get you there.