Really? We are not perfect, and that’s OK! If you have ever thought that you will start a new diet when you finish X, or you’ll start your new painting when your studio is cleaned, or you’ll clean your closet on the next rainy day, those are just excuses we tell ourselves to avoid doing the very things we want to accomplish. We all do it, but where does that get us? We end up feeling angry or disappointed and frustrated and we give up before we even get started.

So, that means you don’t have to be perfect, your room doesn’t have to be spotless and it doesn’t have to be raining to get going today. Don’t wait to start your next big thing when you can start right now. Don’t talk yourself out of it, don’t stick your head in the sand and ignore it. We all have to start somewhere no matter what or where we are in our journey, whatever that is for you. Babies crawl before they walk, so why do we think we need to be X before we can do Y? We don’t! It’s all in your perception and the fear and possibility of failure…or success!

We don’t make forward progress if we don’t know where we want to go or how to get there. Whether the issue is food or fitness or chronic disease, or something else, if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you cannot expect a different result.

Change occurs when we face the fact that what we’re doing isn’t working. Vague goals don’t get realized. We’ve all said things like: we should lose weight, or should quit smoking or should clean out a closet. When we think in terms of should, we’re not committed to the outcome or taking immediate action. Shoulds are those things on our list that we want to do, but find an excuse not to do, or aren’t really important to us to begin with.

When we figure out exactly what it is we want, we will make a plan to have it. Change occurs when we think in terms of what it really takes to lose some weight, to start exercising or quit smoking, and what really needs to be done differently every day to make that happen, committing to it with every fiber of our being and taking action on it.

Here are a few ideas to get you started on your road to success:

• Don’t be vague. Go BIG! Figure out exactly what it is that you want to accomplish and go for it.
• Establish your reference point by honestly facing those things that seriously need to change in order to reach that clear and concise end goal.
• The most common mistake is thinking your changes have to be huge and permanent and made right out of the gate. They don’t. Once you recognize that it won’t get met in one big leap, you’ll be able to map out a plan of small steps over a specific number of days will allow you to take action that will lessen the stress of not seeing immediate results.
• It takes 21 days to make or break any habit. Start small and make one change at a time. Make a plan to eliminate or cut in half whatever it is you want to quit doing and replacing it with a good one or a better one.
• Once that becomes easy and established, try another one.
• Once this becomes your routine, you can eliminate and add habits every 21 days and see what else is possible!
• Remember, every single time you achieve one small step or goal, you must acknowledge the win. Congratulate yourself on the progress and share it with those who support you.
• It is vital to be consistent. Be brave. Be relentless in your determination.

Every small win you gain will give you immense satisfaction and when practiced daily you’ll strengthen the very fiber of your being and the world opens up with immeasurable possibilities that push you further to challenge yourself. You’ll be rewarded immensely with self-satisfaction and you’ll have more patience, more time, more energy. You’ll feel better because you’ll be better. Guaranteed.