How long are you going to wait?

"How long are you going to wait to demand the best out of yourself?"—Epictetus

This quote has really been hitting me hard. I promise, you will always find an excuse to be mediocre. My excuses include: being too tired, having family in town and eating whatever I want, having no time, saying "I'll start Monday" (a classic), feeling too tired again, thinking "I don’t feel like it," being too broke, too scared, or just plain lazy.

These are real and happen often. But, you can train your brain. Yes, I will struggle with excuses for the rest of my life, but they do not define me. Yes, I struggle with laziness, but I am not lazy. I am a hard worker who needs breaks. Plan those breaks! When we have values and understand who we are, and then go against those values, we cause ourselves unwanted depression, anxiety, and shame. For example, I hold a core value that I am not lazy. Yet, I succumb to my laziness often, which creates stress, anxiety, shame, and depression. Now, what can I do? Change my core value? Hell no. I need to change my behavior and "put my thoughts on trial." Yes, you are tired and a bit lazy right now, but go move. Change something. Build that callous.

Simply put, find your values. Challenge your thoughts. Put them on trial. Get up. Go and do.