​“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso

One of the problems with getting things done NOW is the fact that we become distracted by a heavy feeling of too much of anything. Too much of a workload, too many responsibilities, too little time, and too much guilt that things aren’t being taken care of as soon as they happen.

So maybe reframe in your mind that when you take action, you are eliminating the burden of guilt, you are keeping the feeling of guilt away before it even starts. Guilt tells us we should have done it already, and that pressure adds unnecessary stress to our minds and bodies. Instead of freeing us, avoidance locks us inside the cycle of guilt and stress. But the truth is—guilt is only dissolved through action.

To break this cycle, practice self-forgiveness first: acknowledge that everyone hesitates sometimes, and remind yourself that the past can’t be changed, but the present is always available. Next, take one small step immediately. Even a few minutes of progress can erase hours of guilt. Freedom doesn’t come from escaping the task or punishing yourself for waiting—it comes from releasing guilt and choosing to act now.

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

What are some of your obstacles that get in your way and don’t allow you to get things done now? You're tired, you're hungry, you're overwhelmed, and there is too much to think about. Struggles tempt us and also distract us, causing us to postpone important tasks. But these challenges also create opportunities. A way to shift our discomfort and reframe it to something meaningful and educational. The same happens when we get to the crossroads about our workouts. Do I sit and rejuvenate my mind, or do I get up and find my way to work out? The couch is a formidable opponent. What we tend to overlook is our knowledge about how resilient our bodies really are. Even when we are at work or need to spend time with people, there is plenty of energy to start or finish a day strong. What we can’t do is transport ourselves back to yesterday and get the things done we should have done yesterday. Today is here and begging us to do things, so we are looking back with a smile on our past, and not regrets. In order to turn struggles into strengths, we need to first recognize our struggles. Then we can develop a change in attitude to create a strong working behavior.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

One of the most cumbersome pieces of emotional baggage we can ever carry with us, year after year, is the emotion of regret. Regretting that we didn’t do this or that small thing. That small thing could have turned things around, but we leaned towards putting things off. Because we imagined everything to be extremely daunting and too time-consuming.

When we see the whole task at once, it can feel overwhelming. Instead, focus on the next step only. Write down one small thing you can finish today and commit to doing it now. Regardless of certain distractions, especially the emotional ones that tell you it’s too much. Too much work, too much time, too much energy to finish what we need  You have the larger goal in mind, but look at attacking just the beginning. Ask yourself, “If Not You, Then Who”? Each small accomplishment adds up to larger ones.

I am writing a book, and each day I think about what I want to write about and the impact it will have on someone reading it. I think it is important enough for others, and as such, I stop thinking about the time I spend writing, when I could be doing something else. I write 2-4 times a week. I try to excite myself about what I am writing and think maybe a page or 2, but the fact that I am taking one small step, I am building something big.

Monday is a great day for delaying things we need to get done. Good weekend, and we are stuck in remembering and wishing we were still there. Dreaded Monday. The day that carries the most stress and is reported to have the most heart attacks, strokes, and emergency room visits. Our initial emotional hatred of Monday places the most weight on our shoulders. When we delay, our mind often grows heavy with unfinished tasks. That weight doesn’t disappear—it follows us, draining our focus. But we can change our outlook by shifting from “I have to do this” to “I get to do this.” Reframing tasks as opportunities rather than burdens reduces the sense of resistance. Acknowledge the fact that you are delaying so you can reach up for the strength you have and get back to the person you are!

Another powerful way to offset waiting is to use micro-actions: instead of thinking about the whole task, choose one small piece you can finish right now. Progress fuels momentum, and momentum lifts the heaviness of procrastination. What you do now - will lift the load and the burden, no matter how small, progress is progress! Small, consistent steps of progress.

​We all face struggles, distractions, and the temptation to delay what needs to be done. But every time we choose to act now—instead of waiting for the “perfect moment”—we grow stronger, more focused, and more resilient. Mindfulness teaches us that the present moment is not just the best time to take action; it’s the only time we truly have. Over the next week, let’s explore how living in the “now” helps us overcome procrastination, face challenges with courage, and build a life where we don’t just dream—we do. What we do now sets the bar for the rest of now and tomorrow.

Get It Done Now
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Day 1: Get It Done Now – The Consequences Of Waiting.
Day 2: Get It Done Now – Progress Is The Present
Day 3: Get It Done Now – Turning Struggles Into Strengths
Day 4: Get It Done Now – Freedom Through Actions

How easy is it for us to be grateful when things are going our way?  Very Easy, we will even pat ourselves on the back and say, ‘Look at what I did’.  How easy is it to be grateful when something goes our way, but more doesn’t go our way?  Not as easy, but we still have that carrot in front of us that says, ‘You’ve done some good, keep pushing’.  How easy is it to be grateful when, over the last month or even a year, nothing seems to have gone right, and everything has been a struggle?  This is when it is the hardest, and least likely you will say or think of being grateful.  It’s hardest to feel thankful when we’re in pain — yet struggle shapes us in ways comfort never could.  Gratitude doesn’t deny hardship; it honors the growth that hardship produces.  Through gratitude, we see challenges not as punishments but as opportunities to become stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.
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There are always things, events from our past that were successful; they don’t just go away because they are in the past.  Remember those successes as a form of motivation and inspiration.  Each past success was a “step up”.  Just because you are not having success right now, it just means “rest”, and “evaluate” your current progress, then keep stumbling forward.

The three moments that occur and they have control over you emotionally: The Past, the Present, and the Future. The thoughts and current emotional weight of the past could have you worrying, regretting, and angry, for things we didn’t do just right or just didn’t do. Instead of learning from the shortfalls, we carry this emotional baggage into the present. The future thought can be just as challenging. We project all of this control over our future. We tell ourselves that if we do this in our work and personal life right now, everything will fall into place in the future. I need to put things in place so events are guaranteed to happen.

The mind often races ahead into worries or lingers in regrets, but gratitude pulls us back to the now. In this very moment, there is always something to be thankful for — breath in your lungs, the ground beneath your feet, your current health, the chance to begin again. Gratitude roots us in the present, where life truly happens. The present is the only place where our current actions and decisions have an immediate effect on us now. Your present gratitude can strengthen your current actions and motivation for a stronger person.
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Be thankful for your current circumstances and situations. Grow forward with the present.

How many people in our lives are there every day? How many of those people have a choice to be in our lives every day? Do you take for granted those who are in your life and keep showing up, or do you look at them as though they have to be? Time to shift the levels of reality and learn to appreciate those who are there, and remain there, of their own free will. We sometimes take those closest to us for granted, focusing on their flaws instead of their support. Gratitude reminds us that every person in our circle contributes something unique — love, challenge, growth, or encouragement. A simple “thank you” can strengthen connections and open hearts. Why worry about what is in our hearts? Because that is what drives us to respond to others as well as for ourselves. A poor attitude travels out to everyone you are in contact with.

Are you the kind of person who others are grateful for? Do you first exude warmth to every person you are looking for? In order to be respected, you must first show respect. Never expect from others what you can’t deliver yourself.

It’s the beginning of the week, and when I need to start this week, perfect and on track. We acknowledge that we have a long four more days. Then, as we have seen, something breaks and costs us time to fix what is broken just so we can get back on track. When plans fall apart, frustration usually takes over. But hidden in those moments is an invitation: to see lessons, to build resilience, or to recognize doors closing so new ones can open. Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending setbacks feel good — it means seeing value even when things don’t go our way. Turn a challenge into a coach, have a gift of turning bad into good, a teachable moment. Turn chaos into a coach. When this goes in a different direction, there is always an alternative path I didn’t see, but now I know. Turn conflict into a coach; I obviously didn’t see all of the angles when other people are involved. Now I see more.

When life feels heavy or unfair. Practicing gratitude is like training a muscle: it grows stronger the more we use it. Have you ever laughed and been thankful for the opposition? That opposition is what has made you wiser and stronger, only when you stop fighting the bitterness, and have accepted the training tool in front of you.

Gratitude is more than saying thank you. 

It doesn’t always have to be verbal. To start with, it is a shift in perspective, and for the small things. You want to be a cliff diver, but you are unable to simply jump into a pool. Learning to appreciate the small successes will lead you to the larger, as you build confidence. Start by learning to swim in progressively larger pools and larger jumps. The small things that occur in your life matter the most. Appreciation for the small is a true indicator that you are aware of small things that will accumulate to larger. If you wait for the biggest of events to happen in order for you to be thankful, you will always be disappointed. Life itself is made up of small successes that occur as you are working hard towards large goals. People wanting to learn to run start out by alternating between running and walking, typically running for minutes and walking for minutes. As they build up stamina, they learn to appreciate where they were and where they are going.

It’s easy to overlook the everyday blessings because we’re searching for something bigger. But when we dismiss the small things, we dismiss most of our lives. Gratitude begins by noticing — a warm drink, a kind word, the comfort of routine. Small gratitude builds the foundation for larger joy.