Start Today

Alright, let's get real. Was that cringe? Probably. Don't care. I mean it, let's get real.

At what point are you going to flip the switch? At what point are you going to stop waiting and start doing? At what point are you going to stop caring what others think? At what point do you stop making excuses and start making solutions?

For most of my life, I felt like a child waiting for an adult to guide me and tell me what I was supposed to do to make life make sense. Recently I realized that no one has all the answers. I mentally grew up. I was no longer dependent.

Dependency was the problem. Dependency breeds complacency. There are many forms of this dependency. The most common I believe to be dependency of the support of others. You may feel like others are preventing you from being who you could be. Your family, your government, your job. But you're the only one preventing you from your goals. You're the only one standing in the way of your mental progress.

Let's not kid ourselves, true progress sucks. There is no shortcut. There's no half-assing. You must flip the switch. Find something that makes you passionate and get started.

There will never be a good time to get started. Start today. Don't wait. Pull out a notebook and start making notes. Write down something actionable and get started. The hardest part of the process is getting started. Stop procrastinating, get off your ass, and move. You can rest later and you'll have a sense of accomplishment as a bonus.

The second hardest part is developing momentum. The momentum can only be created by diligence. Diligence can only be created by consistently following your habits. You are going to need to break out of your rut. Set habits that guide you and make them your religion.

Stop looking for perfection. Winston Churchill put it best when he said,

You will fail. And with your failure comes learning and growth. Keep your momentum. Take what you learned, pick yourself up, and start again. Don't beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself, but push yourself.

Don't allow yourself to settle. Be proud of your work but always see its flaws and never cease striving to improve. You'll be surprised by the distance you can travel by incremental, consistent steps. Don't stop. You may only be able to do a little. Push a little beyond what you think possible every day. Don't stop the momentum.

Stop debating. Start acting. Through acting, you learn. Experience is more valuable than knowledge.

Knowledge still helps, however. You can't gain first-hand experience of all there is to learn. Knowledge is second-hand experience. Tim Ferriss often says,

Choose your company wisely. Surround yourself with people that are better than you. Will will learn by osmosis and slowly absorb their experience as knowledge. Michael Dell said it best,

Once you feel comfortable with the topic or task at hand that may be a sign that you have ceased learning from your environment or company. Seek out challenging situations and people who are on higher levels. This is the way of growth.

Remember the words of Marcus Aurelius,

It's time. Stop waiting. Start today. Momento mori.