Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today

25 August 2020

By Gill Hasson, author of Mindfulness Pocketbook

Mindfulness Pocketbook

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain

This year, many of us have had to cancel our plans. Whether it was a holiday, a big adventure, or a weekend away, to learn a new skill or change our job or career, the pandemic has stopped us all in our tracks. There's clearly a lesson to be learnt; don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today! Of course, because of the pandemic, there are still things we can't do today, but there are plenty of things we can do.

Is there something that, for a long time, you've wanted; you've told yourself you will do it one day but for whatever reason, you haven't done it? Whether it’s big or small, it may not be your life purpose, or even life changing, but what, if anything, have you done to make your dream come true? You can ignore the dream but one way or another, as a dream often does, it will come back to you again and again.

Perhaps you tell yourself that you’ll get to it later. But if not now, then when? Don’t wait for a point in the future when you’ll have more time, more money, or more of whatever it is you think you need more of.

Even if you can't follow a passion or achieve your dream immediately, there's always something you can do in the present - research your options, start training or saving the money you need - to work towards something you'd like to do in the future.

Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay. Simone de Beauvoir

Instead of reasons not to do it, look for a reason to do it. You only need one reason. It could just be that you've always wanted to do it. It could be that doing it will give you a purpose or will make you happy. Or that you'll have achieved something to look back on with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. These are all good reasons to do it. Or you could do it for no specific reason at all. When George Mallory made his attempt to be the first person to climb Mount Everest, he was asked why he wanted to do it. He replied, “Because it’s there.” And this could be the only reason you need. Do it because it's there; it's just something you want to do.

Don't have a dream? Here's some ideas - some big, some small - to inspire you:

Learn a new skill; to fly a light aircraft, to dance the tango, to play the guitar, to sign read, to ride a horse

Hire a sports car

Run a marathon

Grow your own vegetables

Dye your hair blond

Climb a tree

Eat pizza for breakfast

Milk a cow

Eat in a Michelin starred restaurant

Ride a motorbike

Gill Hasson is the author of the bestselling Mindfulness Pocketbook: Little Exercises for a Calmer Life (second edition published by Capstone in August 2020). She delivers teaching and training for educational

organisations, voluntary and business organisations and the public sector. She has 20 years' experience teaching and writing on a range of wellbeing issues; confidence and self-esteem, self-care, overcoming anxiety assertiveness and resilience. Gill is the author of more than 22 books, including the bestselling Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, Positive Thinking, the Sunday Times bestseller How To Deal With Difficult People, plus other books on the subjects of resilience, communication skills and assertiveness. Follow: @gillhasson