“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
— Chinese Proverb

It’s easy to judge our past actions or lack thereof with the benefit of hindsight. In reality, we need to stop focusing on what we should have done in the past and stay focused on what we need to do now.

Sure, I wish I had invested in Netflix back in 2012, but I didn’t because I didn’t have a lot of money. I wish I had mined Bitcoin back in 2011, but I ran into some issues and gave up. I wish I had started blogging back in 2000, but I didn’t because I figured nobody cared about my thoughts. I wish I had started regular workouts when I was 22, but I got sore after the first week and quit.

It’s easy to dwell in the past and judge ourselves a failure, but it doesn’t do any good. What are you going to do now? How are you going to become the person you want to be? Figure out where you want to be in 20 years and then take actions that match your goal. Plant your tree now.

We get to the future one small step at a time. Make every step count.