Too often than I’d like to count, I kick myself as I think “if only I would have done that earlier…” Today for instance, I finally called AT&T to complain about my shoddy modem that has been dropping signal (just as much as my iPhone) for about 3 months now. Everyday I can expect to lose Internet for 3-5 minutes about 5-10 times a day. After my pent up frustration hit the ceiling, I called their support. Less than 15 minutes later, problem resolved–they’re sending me a new modem (expect it in 3-5 business days). Something bugging me for 3 months was resolved in 15 minutes.
I ask myself more so than ever, why do I let my actions linger. Why don’t I jump on opportunities as they arise? That new, amazing awesome idea I just dreamt up, probably won’t be coming into fruition anytime soon. Why not?!
To try and put things in perspective these days, I try to remind myself of two things. First, I love recounting the old proverb (which I’ll probably write about again and again) that goes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” Grasping the guts of that proverb makes me want to plant a million seeds today. It makes me realize that no matter what I plant today will be of value to me in 20 years (assuming I nurture it). The value can be a product, a lesson, a stepping-stone, etc.
The second thing I try to remind myself is that procrastination is one of the leading causes of failure. Basically, I’m doomed to fail if I don’t start today. Heck, how can I reach my goals if I don’t even take the first step? This train of thought has been sparking more embers lately.
Everyday I realize, that quite possibly, Nike has the best slogan ever created– Just Do It. So simple. So profound. One thing we can never buy back for any amount of money, is time. I have roughly 16 hours a day to spend, I better use them wisely.
Plant a tree today.