My Journey Begins Today (Every Day)

Sitting here in my office, working on my client’s project, I needed to pause and reflect.  Earlier I posted on Facebook a picture of one of my favorite Starbucks mugs – the very one I’m sipping from today and on it, there is a simple message: “My Journey Begins Today” . . . One of my former colleagues and friends responded to the post that it was “a good daily reminder” – and she’s right.

Most of us choose a day or time to start something new, or change for the better. I’ve been guilty of the very same thing:

1. “On Monday, I’m going to stop drinking sodas.”
2. “Starting August 1st, I’m going to make it a point to go to bed at 10 PM every night.”
3. “At 6 o’clock, I’m gonna go run.”

But this simple mug, that I could very well sip from every day, has a statement on it that — while most would make such for a specified date — is applicable to every day of our lives.

 

And worse, when we fall short of that planned date of change, we fall off. WAY off the mark. The level of self-disappointment and/or how we think others are viewing our “failure” often makes us retreat and shelve that change for the better for the next time we want to set a date. If we adopt this simple mantra at the start of each day, failure isn’t part of the equation – now is it? And we’ve instilled in ourselves a smidge-bit of self-motivation that may  not have been there before; and such a planted seed has no choice but to grow.

So, here I challenge you:

1. Stop planning for change, just do it. Life happens often. And, as we know, our plans don’t always play out. If you just set in your mind to take action and move, the benefits will be reaped immediately and not simply hoped for and contigently based on a plan. And should life happen and counter your ability to act – guess what . . . (see #2)
2. Always know that your “journey begins today” (everyday). We are our greatest critics and frankly, it is our own self critism that will make or break us. Stop counting so much value to what you don’t do, and start banking on what you do. The dividends in your “account” will pay off far more than the negative balances.

Yes, we know that tomorrow isn’t promised. So that further negates your attempt to plan to start “My Journey Begins . . .” tomorrow. Stop what you are doing right now. And say it. Just say it. Then walk in it.