Tomorrow? Or NOW?

One of the things I have to continually fight is my tendency to procrastinate.  If it's something I want to do, I'm all over it from the start, but when the task at hand is something that I'm not excited about, I can find 101 reasons to put it off.  As I've gotten a bit more mature (am resisting saying "older"!), I have gotten better, but I'm far from declaring victory in the procrastination department.

I perfected the art of procrastination (if there is such a thing) when it came to getting healthy.  Like Little Orphan Annie, my theme song was "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow . . . you're always a day away!"  Since I have been a daily weigher for years, I'd step on the scale every morning, groan at the number I saw, and solemnly promise myself that I would start on a diet and start to turn things around . . . tomorrow.  "Today" was rarely a good day to start a diet because I was too busy, too tired, too stressed, etc.  While I had a dozen reasons why "today" wasn't good, I'd promise myself over and over again that I would start on a diet "tomorrow."  

I promised and procrastinated myself all the way up to 268 pounds and diabetic. The day I got back the lab work that revealed Type 2 diabetes, it felt like someone had thrown ice water on me as I finally faced the consequences of waiting for a tomorrow that never came.  That diagnosis started a journey that would, almost two years later, finally bring me to this program.  Between the diagnosis and the day I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I had a number of failed attempts on yet another program, and I still had too many days of playing the "start tomorrow" game.

For those of you who take the time to read my blogs (thank you!!), you know that I enjoy thought-provoking quotes.  I read one that addresses the whole issue of procrastination:  "Procrastination is the false believe that there is a better time than NOW!"

My "NOW" came in June of 2007 when I came to a point where I felt like I couldn't continue down the path of obesity one more day.  The scale was up again, my blood sugar numbers were up and I knew I had to do something NOW. Even though June wasn't a particularly convenient time for me to start on this program, especially with fresh fruit coming into season and a two-week vacation just a month away, it truly was my NOW.  As you probably can guess, I have no regrets!

Is today YOUR "NOW?"  Or are you still under the impression that there is a better time than today to focus on getting healthy?  I know there are pressures today . . . work, children, perhaps aging parents, finances, but there are always pressures and once one issue is resolved, don't two more pop up?  

Things will always get in the way because life is rarely without one challenge or another.  If tomorrow still looks like a better day to be on plan for you, are you really willing to wait?  What happens if tomorrow ends up being as crazy - or crazier - than today?

Make today your NOW.  It really doesn't matter what's going on in your world today, because once you make the decision, it's amazing how easy it is to figure out the "how."  What choices will you make today?  Choose wisely :-)