Hello, and welcome to my Friday dose of wisdom. You’ve started to read this, so we’re moving in the right direction. Read on to be inspired.

All of life’s endeavors have one single thing in common – getting started. Everyone knows that exercising and eating healthy is good for you, yet many still don’t do it. I’ve found this is typically for two reasons: laziness/lack of motivation, and/or the abundance of information and directions to choose from. A Chinese proverb once said that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. This couldn’t be more true. 

All too often we are discouraged by the enormity of a journey that we fail to ever begin, only to look back a year later and wonder where we would have been had we started last year. For many, this turns into a continuous cycle. The bottom line is that making a choice and taking that first step is more important than making the “best choice”. If you don’t know where to start, start small. Go for a 10 minute walk every day – no excuses. This opens the door to your second step, and gives you 10 minutes a day to think about what that step will be. 

If you struggle with a lack of motivation, join the club. Keeping your commitments clear and concise is the best recipe. This will take the thinking out of the operation and allow you to execute at a high level. Keep in mind, taking good care of yourself is a lifestyle change – try it for a month and see what happens.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today.”