Well…its the second day…of the last month…of 2012.

2013 is peeking around the corner and preparing to sneak up on us all, in a matter of twenty or more days.

The New Year is a notable milestone in time that typically causes us to stop and take inventory of our own personal growth, in contrast to our aspirations and goals.

An example of this took place last week.

I had the opportunity to chat with an old friend, and as we engaged in conversation, the topic of health surfaced and we began sharing personal insights on how we maintained our health.  We both agreed that maintaining a healthy lifestyle was a definite key to good living, however he admitted to not practicing the necessary disciplines of eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

He continued to explain how he knew his current habits hurt his health and provided explicit details regarding how these habits would eventually impact his overall health condition.  After providing me an unsolicited physical health diagnostic readout, he then proclaimed the following.  ”Yeah so…January 2nd, I’m on it!  P90X status. Hard.”

- Insert awkward silence…

I hesitantly replied, “I vote you start tomorrow. After all…2013′s tomorrow is still quite a few tomorrows away, and when you refer to tomorrow’s tomorrow that’s also known as procrastination.”

My friend chuckled and immediately shot back,  ”C’mon…I’m just saying brother…I’d be working against myself if I maxed out tomorrow (Thanksgiving) on food and then again on Christmas.  Lord only knows what I might do New Year’s Eve.  Yeah…January 2nd sounds safe to me. I don’t wanna start something I can’t finish.”

Ahhhh…I’ve heard that infamous phrase before…
I don’t want to start something I can’t finish.

That statement can stand alone and be convicted of having annihilated more ideas, dreams, goals and aspirations than any other group of words provided the exception of the extremely powerful dream executioner named ‘I can’t’!

The future isn’t a place we get to wait on…for things to get better or get slightly more reasonable.  The future is a place we create with the action or inaction we take today.

If we are unsatisfied with our current condition, an obvious change in behavior is necessary to forecast a future that does not perpetuate more of our present circumstance.

Just think…what if as we move into this upcoming New Year, we thought about what we could accomplish within a day, with the same seriousness with which we took stock of what we could accomplish in a New Year.  Imagine the exponential growth we all could experience in our lives if we adopted this practice.

As we proceed towards the end of another year, most of us will begin reflecting on 2012 and celebrating our accomplishments, while taking stock of our opportunities.  The question I would like to challenge us all with over the next twenty-eight days is as follows:

Why put off something that can change tomorrow’s tomorrow in a positive way, if you started it today?

Take the challenge! Start today!

Yes!  The New Year is a milestone, but the problem is it only comes every 365 days.
In contrast, every 24 hours you have a new day.

So…what can you start doing today that will create a future you can eagerly anticipate tomorrow?

Because, after all…not wanting to start things you can’t finish is noble…
But it’s important to keep in mind…you can’t finish if you don’t start!