Yesterday, last week and last year are all dead and gone. You can learn from the experiences in those times, but you shouldn’t dwell in the past. There’s nothing you can do to change what you did or did not do in the past.
Tomorrow is almost here and can bring unknown experiences.
But, those experiences may never come to fruition if you don’t put in the effort today.
Instead of focusing on what you want to change from the past or what could happen in the future, focus on the small things you can pay attention to today.
This is easier said than done. I struggle with this quite often, as well. Instead of doing the small things consistently, I think of what I should of changed one, two or three years ago. Or, I’ll think of how great things will be when XYZ happens.
It takes a self-slap to the face to wake up and realize it doesn’t matter what happened in years past. Things will be great when XYZ happen, but XYZ will never happen if I don’t take a few steps forward today.
Instead of consistently doing the simple steps (like sending an email/Facebook post like this one out three times a week) I need to take to grow my personal training business, I’ll think about the business mistakes I made in the past. Or, I’ll think about what everything is going to be like once I grow to X amount. That goal is only going to be a fantasy unless I do a little better today.
I’ll think about some of the things I wish I would of done with Crystal (the wife) and I’s relationship in the weeks and months prior instead of figuring out one thing I can do today to make it 1% better.
This is how your health and fitness should be thought of:
You beat the crap out of yourself for having a few appetizers and a marg or two at happy hour last night so badly that you can’t even realize those things were a small blip on the radar when it comes to your long-term success. Instead of thinking about yesterday, think about what you can do today to get back on track.
Instead of saying, “I’ll start working out once I’ve lost 20 pounds…” This one still baffles me. Instead of looking into the future where you magically lose 20 pounds without effort, how about you start off with a simple workout you can do at home or 15 minute walk around the neighborhood?
If you want to get yourself to your fitness goals, you’ll have to put in the focus now and win the day.
Doing something small, such as a 15 minute walk or planning your meals and grocery list for the week, each and every day will do more for your goals than sitting around thinking of what you should of done or what you’d like things to be in the years to come.
Will you win the day?