The other day, I was talking to a friend, and she said she wanted to start her fitness journey “soon.”

It made me wonder: What does “soon” actually mean?

I hear this all the time:

“I want to start my business soon.”

“I want to start eating better soon.”

“I want to start exercising soon.”

But what are we waiting for?

When is the right time to start something that will inevitably stretch you, expand you, and move you closer to the best version of yourself?

The future always seems more exciting because when we assign something to our future self, our present self doesn't have to do anything. We still get the satisfaction of believing that we are motivated and aligned with our goals without having to take action today.

It feels like a win-win.

……Except it’s not.

Every time we postpone an action until tomorrow, we also delay the confidence and self-trust that taking that action could have given us today.

Hence, if your life is unavoidably busy right now, at least start some version of it. Even the smallest version can be enough to move you into action.

If you want to start exercising, take a 10-minute walk today. Or stretch for a few minutes.

If you want to start eating healthier again, begin with one nourishing meal and go from there.

If you want to start your own business, sit down and research your idea. Start building your website. Collect some data. Write down your first few steps.

You don’t have to do everything today. But you do have to do something.

Instead of burdening the future version of you with everything you keep postponing, help them. Create the foundation today for whatever needs to be started.

Because the right time to start is rarely “soon.” It is usually now.