This is something I look at every single morning..

Every week… every day… every hour… you are doing certain things.

It could be working really hard on a project, doing something at work… having dinner… or even just sitting down to watch something on Netflix. Every moment you’re alive, you’re doing SOMETHING.

Life is basically a track of individual now’s. A sequence of individual moments… and each moment is just now. A big series of now’s. And when you think about it, the only thing we can really control is NOW.

We can’t change the past.

We can change our future, but only by acting in the now.

Now is what we’ve got. So, the question is…

What is the reality that you are creating through your actions right now?

This is something I was thinking about quite a bit lately. And now, I even wrote it at the top of the productivity tool I use every day (called Amazing Marvin) so that I see that quote every day.

I’ll give you a very personal example…

As a man… and as a husband… I want to BE a certain person. I want to be a good father to my children. I want to be a husband who my wife loves and is attracted to. That is the reality that I – and I would think most other men would want.

However, over the last couple years, I had let my weight creep up. I was kind of eating whatever I wanted. And also… I was getting into this thing where, after a productive day in the office, I would have myself a drink.

Now, that’s not something uncommon for most people. It is sorta normal for a guy to have a beer or something at the end of the day. In my case, I would actually drink some scotch or vodka on the rocks. Never enough to be a problem. But, I still drank it.

That ONE little action of having a drink at the end of the day. In and of itself, it is not a big deal. And, it really isn’t when you get right down to it. It is really easy to dismiss it as just one drink. It doesn’t matter.

But, then it begins to add up.

Before you know it, you’re having that drink almost every day. Before you know it, that big bottle of scotch you bought at Sam’s Club just doesn’t last as long as it used to.

And then, on our recent trip in the RV, we took some photos. I was posing with the kids. And… I saw the photo. And I thought…

Shit, is that me?! 🙂

Here’s the thing…

In my head, I was fine. I knew I needed to lose a little weight, but it wasn’t that big a deal. However, they say the camera doesn’t lie. 🙂 I saw myself from the outside. And I can’t say I liked it much. 🙂

What had happened is that a whole lot of little “now moments” had happened and stacked up. It could have been that pizza I didn’t need. Or a trip to a buffet. Or, yes, a little drink after work. In and of themselves, each one harmless. Each one easy to write off as no big deal. And, they weren’t a big deal. But… they add up.

Each of those now’s had added up into a reality that I didn’t care for. It was adding up into a BEINGNESS that I don’t want to BE.

What is the reality that I am creating with my actions?

Well, if I want to be a skinnier guy who is in good shape… and I want to be a good husband for my wife…. and I want to set a good example for my kids…

… then my individual little actions, day to day, need to align.

Because those little actions, each seemingly non-consequential, DO add up into a reality.

I am now eating much better. No more drinks after work. Hitting the gym 4-5 times per week. And, since I got back from our RV trip a couple weeks ago, I’ve lost a few pounds. In fact, I’m down 9 pounds since I originally started thinking about all this (even while we were still away).

So, my question to YOU is…

When you look at your actions and the things you are doing in that series of now’s that we’re all living, what reality are you creating?

Who are those actions leading up to you BEING?

It is something worth thinking about. It can be a real eye-opener.

I’m not coming to you on this from a standpoint of some guru. I’m not the personal development guy. 🙂 Clearly, I’ve fallen off my wagon on this, too. Most likely, we all have.

But, man…

When you realize that every choice about what you doing NOW is pointing in a direction of some kind… it makes you think.

It doesn’t mean you never deviate. But, it does mean that you can be intentional about it.

And that’s much better than being asleep at the switch and being a drifter through your own life. Then suddenly seeing a photo of yourself on your wife’s iPhone and not diggin’ what’s looking back at you. 🙂

What is the reality that you are creating with your actions?