Somewhere along the road, we seem to have adopted the idea that tomorrow is a great day to start something new. How many times have you heard — or said — something like this?
- I’m going to start that new diet and make it to the gym tomorrow.
- Tomorrow I’m really going to stop wasting so much time at work.
- I’ll finish this pack of cigarettes today and then will never have another, starting tomorrow.
- Honey, I know you’ve been wanting to talk about this. But maybe tomorrow; I’m so tired.
But here’s the problem. It doesn’t work. Tomorrow is the absolute worst day to start anything new. Here’s why.
First of all, planning to start a new goal tomorrow leads to an indulgence mindset today. “It’s my last day eating sweets. I can pig out a bit today because I’ll be eating healthy tomorrow. Pass me another cupcake!” But then life happens. Tomorrow doesn’t come — at least not for our new goal. Instead, we simply used a vague notion of being good in the near future to justify harmful behavior in the nearer present.
Secondly, the habit of putting off a worthwhile endeavor until tomorrow conditions our mind to view the action as unimportant. If we were really serious about something — if it was truly crucial to our success and happiness — we wouldn’t wait. We’d dive right in. But instead we back-burner the issue without taking any action. We’ve told our mind that it’s not really that urgent and can therefore be postponed easily again tomorrow.
Finally, putting off a worthwhile activity creates stress and anxiety. You wouldn’t think about the goal at all if it wasn’t somehow connected to your desires and values. You think about getting in shape because you know it would be beneficial to your overall happiness. But by failing to take immediate action, you’re creating discord between your actions and what you believe to be right. The heart and mind suffer; apprehension creeps in; we don’t feel at peace about how we’re living our life. This condition further demotivates us from achieving our goal.
I’m sure you can see the solution coming a mile away, so here it is: if a goal or activity is important to you, DO SOMETHING TODAY. Take a measurable step that brings you closer to what you desire. If you’re struggling with diet and exercise, go to your cupboard and throw out the unhealthy food that will be tempting you for a late-night snack. Drive — better yet, walk — to the bookstore and start reading a fitness book. Get a friend on the phone and see if she’s up for an evening bike ride. Roll a pair of dice and run around your house that many times.
Whatever it is, take action today. Then take a moment to savor the feeling of accomplishment. Then, and only then, decide on what your next step will be tomorrow. The joy of having made a measurable step will provide more motivation for further action than all the “tomorrowing” of the world ever could.
