I am often reminded of a Frog and Toad story entitled “Tomorrow.” In the story, Toad wakes up saying, “Drat! This house is a mess. … I will do it tomorrow. Today I will take life easy.” However, then as he imagines doing all the various chores tomorrow, Frog points out, “Yes, tomorrow will be a very hard day for you.” That’s when Toad realizes, “But Frog, if I pick up my pants and jacket right now, then I will not have to pick them up tomorrow, will I?” And one by one, he does all his chores today.

Each of us are in a lifelong battle against procrastination and laziness. Hard work today is one of the best gifts we can give to our future selves. Ask yourself:

• What could I be doing right now that in the future I would be glad I did?
• What could I do now to make my future easier, better, happier, more successful, and more prosperous?

Your future self is the benefactor of your present. By doing, delegating, or removing today’s problems, you are gifting an easier day to your future self. In the same way, by cultivating, designing, and pursuing your dreams, you are fashioning a better future tomorrow.

Are you going to save or spend? Will you wash the dish now or set it on the counter for tomorrow? Will you study for the credential or put it off another month?

Efforts spent today to improve your life pay dividends in the future. It is good to remind yourself often of this fact.

Every choice you make is either towards or away from your dreams. If you can cultivate a habit where you choose to go towards what you want, you’ll find that you get there.

Barbara Sher is quoted as saying:

Find out what you love.
Do it because you love it.
Stick with it.
Start now.

What does your ideal or most fulfilled life look like?

If you have no clue what you would like to do, I recommend Barbara Sher’s “I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was.”

If you have some ideas of what you want to do but are having trouble making it a reality, try reading “Wishcraft.”

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash. Photo has been cropped. This is part of Life Lessons (the series).