Summary: Results do not often occur overnight. To effect serious change in your life, you need to realize that the actions you are taking today—the actions you are taking right now—are connected to the results you will experience in the future.

Body: Studies show that people generally view their future selves in discrete, separate terms from their present-self. People have a tendency to say to themselves, "one day, I'm going to be less fat, be better in shape, and have more money;" but they'll spend the day eating cheeseburgers, lounging on the couch, and watching TV.

You need to realize that your life is one continuous motion. The choices you make today will shape your future. While this statement may sound stupidly obvious, I'd then ask you, "what steps have you taken today to achieve your goals?"

A buddy of mine was in the Air Force for several years. If you asked him, he'd tell you that it was his goal to earn his bachelor degree; but every night, he'd come home, watch Big Bang Theory, and play video games. Another guy we know from his flight started taking night courses with their Air Force's community college, then transferred over to take night classes at OU near the base.

This driven bastard ground out his degree, one class at a time, one night at a time. Two guys, both on the same flight, with the same job and the same schedule, and one guy was able to see how his actions yesterday would affect his life today.

My buddy, on the other hand, is 31 and just about to begin his second year of college. The driven guy has a cush gig with Boeing.

The moral of this story is to realize how the actions (or inactions) you take today affect how close you get to your goals tomorrow. If a man desires to be on top of a mountain, it requires him to start climbing.

So what actions have you taken today to achieve your goals?

Lesson Learned:

• You want to be a faster runner? Then get your ass outside today and start running.

• You want to lose weight? Then start eating healthy right now. None of this bullshit "I'll begin on Monday" or "I've already eaten a big breakfast, so I might as well continue eating shit today." Before each meal, start asking yourself how this food fits into your 6-week and 6-month goals for yourself.

• You want to become stronger? Then go find some heavy shit to move around today. Keep moving it around until you're fucking tired, then keep moving it around because you're probably fat and out of shape.

• You want to get better at approaching girls? Then, instead of sheepishly avoiding that cute girl in the coffee shop again, go greet her with a "Hi" and a smile.

Every journey of a thousand miles always begins with the first step.