I love this quote.

I love this concept.

Because it embraces you for you. It's not asking you to change. It's not asking you to be someone different than who you are, right now, in this moment.

But it also holds some accountability.

You can change the story you tell yourself about what needs to happen before you can start something new. Too often we wait. I'll start that nutrition plan on Monday. After my birthday. After that trip.

You can start right now. But you have to change way you think about getting started.

The quote comes from a book of the same title by Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun whose work I've followed for a few years. The book is a guide to compassionate living.

You'll be hard pressed to find someone who procrastinates as well as I do. As good as Doug is at building procrastination into his day is as good as I am at putting things off.

Especially cleaning. I'll put that off all day long.

Like, all day.

But I also like this quote because it's gentle.

The quote "no excuses" absolutely works for some people. Many athletes are motivated by coaches shouting things like no excuses, and no pain, no gain. I still have t-shirts from high school with those quotes. They work. And they are true. You have to be willing to recognize when you're making excuses regarding change. You have to recognize when you're not making exercise and nutrition a priority.

But I don't believe that motivation, accountability, and self-compassion need to be mutually exclusive.

Regardless of what it is that you're putting off, take a look at what you're waiting for. Sit with the why. Embrace where you are in your life.

Start with where you are.

Start with you who are.