One of the great deceptions of life is that we can be better tomorrow, but not today. Tomorrow, maybe even next week or next year, seems like a better time to improve or start something new. But right now? It’s inconvenient. I’m too tired, too stressed, too overwhelmed. A new day, like a new year, holds so much promise and hope. But today, I seem to fall short again. Like little orphan Annie said, “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll love you tomorrow. It’s only a day away.” We intend to do so well tomorrow. The problem is that by the time it gets here, it’s today, and so we push it off again.
Why “Tomorrow” Is a Dangerous Lie
There are so many good things I’ve committed to in my mind. So many New Year’s resolutions left unresolved. C.S. Lewis said, “You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to.” Tomorrow takes from today. I’ll read, run, work, retire, travel, give, love, pray, play, serve, give tomorrow, always tomorrow, but not now. Today I’m too busy prioritizing worry, stress, hurt, delay, gossip, pretending, criticism, fantasy, escape, and rationalization. Why? Because I keep repeating the lie that there will always be another tomorrow.
I’m finally old enough to understand and empathize with those experiencing some form of midlife crisis, though I prefer to believe that at age 44, I remain a few good years from my midpoint! It’s humbling. It’s hard to retain a spirit of childlike awe and wonder, to approach life with the same sense of adventure. “Chasing after the wind”, as it says in Ecclesiastes, is not something I like to admit feeling sometimes. But it is inevitable that with the passing of time, there will be less to look forward to. C.S. Lewis said, “Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that he is finding his place in it, while really it is finding its place in him.”
Be careful not to see the purpose of life through the prism of a bucket list. It’s risky to check all the boxes and even worse to reach the point where you are unable to pursue any of the remaining items. A sobering but empowering idea is that you are not behind or ahead. We all fall short. Some people burn out. Others never light up at all. We all wish we were better at something. I wish I were as good a dad as I am a financial advisor. I wish I were as good a husband as I am a pickleball player. I wish I were as generous as my dad and my Granddad. I hope I will be eventually. But it won’t be tomorrow. My only hope is today, and I must convince myself that my life depends on it. As if there are no more tomorrows.
The Smallest Choices Matter Most
The Smallest Choices Matter MostDo not be fooled. The tiniest, seemingly insignificant, steps impact eternity most profoundly. Do not dismiss, minimize, or rationalize them away. Love and serve your family today, or it might be in shambles tomorrow. Run today, or you might have a heart attack tomorrow. Forgive today, or the relationship may be beyond repair tomorrow. Trade the brownie for a banana today, or you may lose a leg from diabetes tomorrow. Invest today, or you may be broke tomorrow. I’m glad I didn’t wait too long to say hello to my wife. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be mine. What a different story my life would have told.
A new year is here. A new day. It doesn’t matter. If you had trouble avoiding sweets in December, resisting them today won’t be any easier. Your willpower isn’t getting any stronger. If you don’t want something bad enough to act today, stop pretending otherwise. Tomorrow is fantasy land. Nothing ever happens there. My Granddad was fond of saying, “He who hesitates is lost.” Decide now what is worth treasuring and treasure it today, not tomorrow, with all your heart. If you do, 2026 will be your best year ever. If you wait until tomorrow, 2026 will already be gone. I’m glad I wrote this blog today because I treasure the lives of those who read it, even if it’s only, and most importantly, my mom and dad!
January 2026
