“The only people who achieve much
are those who want knowledge so badly
that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable.
Favorable conditions never come.” (C.S. Lewis)

Are you waiting for the perfect day to start a good habit?

Is it never the right year to address weaknesses you know you have?

Do you plan to love your neighbor next season, when you have more time?

Is your rainy day project list more fit for the tropical rainforest?

Anything worth doing or having is worth making an effort. If we are waiting for something hard to become easy, we are fooling ourselves. We will need to work for it.

There are times that are not appropriate for attempting new things or hard things, but be sure that today is truly that time. Sometimes wisdom requires scaling back or focusing on the basics for a while. That is true at times, BUT other times we need to be careful that we are not using an excuse and calling it wisdom.

If you know that you need to do it and know that it needs to be done now, I encourage you:

• Plan what you are doing. Know your goal. Is is clear, measurable, and realistic?
• Plan how you will do it. What exactly will it take? Map out the steps of the habit or the schedule of tasks or deadlines. Writing it down helps make it real.
• Get the help you may need. Ask and receive. We need each other, so ask for help from friends. Tools are effective, so decide if you need some and then get them.
• Take a deep breath and dig in. You’ve done the preparation. Now is the time to just start doing what you know you should. Put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.

The good news is — it will be worth it!

* C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (San Francisco: Harper-One, 2001), 60