Today, being the only day we can be certain of, is the only place the best version of ourself can actually live. Contrary to that fact, we like to believe our best, our potential self, lives in the future. We aren’t exactly sure when in the future, but, with a twinge of self deception, “tomorrow” is usually our guess. Often serving as placeholder for accomplishing what we didn’t today, and for who we put off being today, tomorrow is where who-we-want-to-be ends up living. And, although it sounds convincing, the phrase “tomorrow” is a weak guess at best. As far as we know it could be next week, next year, in summer, come fall, or, at the right time, assuming things feel right at that time. Mostly, this thinking is our sly, semi-subconscious act to excuse ourselves from taking action today. Sometimes, it is to earnestly plan for the right time to take action, but mostly the former.

Tomorrow, when not serving as a placeholder for the me that could be, is sometimes a place that exists to aid in our survival. When today is at its worst, tomorrow holds a balance of hope we can spend to make it through today’s difficulties and trials. But we mustn’t ever wait to spend tomorrow’s balance of hope, of potential, of opportunity, on tomorrow’s version of ourselves, on tomorrow’s challenges. It must all be spent today. Otherwise we rob ourselves of what we could gain today, of how we can grow today. Today is the place where we are becoming what we will actually be tomorrow, where we earn what we will have tomorrow. It’s a paradox, wherein, if your potential is not spent today, you won’t have it tomorrow.

All the former is embodied in the 12 Steps mantra, “One day at a time.” That phrase evokes an essential way of thinking, allowing addicts to stay focused on the here and now. It forsakes tomorrow, knowing that the future is unknown, and worse, will always let us off the hook in the present. It distills the simple matter of fact that today, not tomorrow, is where the work happens, where the good decisions need to be made, where change happens because we don’t have the option anymore to put it off until tomorrow.

So, I will live for today, not in resignation neglecting the impact my actions will have tomorrow, but aspirationally, because of the result they will have. I will make decisions so, if tomorrow comes, I will be ready for it, to the best of my ability. Each night, I will fall asleep having done all I could to be the best version of myself today. Each morning, I will awake the person I sought to become.