A beautiful morning at the Arundel, ME flea market. Overheard one guy ask “selling fishing gear at the end of the season?” Another replied “nah, it’s just really early for next one.”
“I’ll start my diet on Monday” How many times have you heard or said that? Have you ever failed to make a New Year’s resolution? Or a birthday one? I doubt it. Daniel Pink’s fabulously entertaining book When makes a compelling and well supported argument that it is human nature to behave that way. We are innately and strongly motivated by milestones and that is fine. We just don’t need to wait for them to happen to take our first step.
What if instead of waiting to make change or to seize opportunity - we started today, right now? With our very next meal, conversation, or assignment. How could or would our life be different?
Think of the hours, days, weeks and maybe even months that would be added to our timelines. How much more could we get done - how much more could we accomplish if we just began right now? Atomic Habits by James Clear makes this point - along with many other good ones. He compares behavioral change to investing and the power of compounding interest. If you make change now and enjoy the benefits for a lifetime - the rewards you reap are quite similar to those you earn through early and consistent investing and the amplifying effect of compounding. When we eat more healthily and are more in tune with our emotions and our motivations, we often lose weight. When we lose weight, we feel better. We exercise more. We pursue relationships. We put ourselves out there. We take chances. And because we feel good about this and want it to last, many times we continue to eat healthily and power this flywheel and positive feedback loop. More of a good thing becomes - surprise, or maybe not - more of a good thing. When I was a weight loss surgeon, my patient’s most frequently expressed regret was that they didn’t have surgery sooner. That they didn’t take advantage of an opportunity to lose weight, to be healthier, and to live more happily. Why? They each had their reasons - all valid and all that made sense to them. But that said, what they all wished was that they hadn't have waited. What was true 61 years ago in JFK’s brilliant inaugural address remains true today: All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. While we may not complete the job, the task, the project - it is still incumbent upon us to start. We must begin. And what better time to do so than right now! Wishing that you will be early to your best, happiest, and healthiest life and whatever else you aspire to.
Anytime for anything, Adam
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