Patrick Regan - Now: Discovering the Power of the Present Tense

G et more involved with your community, now. Attend your neighborhood or towns next association or council meeting. Consider volunteering for the board.

W hat lurks in the bottom of your purse? Clean it out now.

I f you use a wood-burning fireplace in your home, make an appointment to have the flue and chimney inspected now.

C arbon monoxide kills more than two hundred people in the United States each year. Install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home, now.

T ake your daily multivitamin, now.

S traighten out the silverware drawer, now.

S ave time, hassle, paper, and stamps. Check into paying regular monthly bills (like utilities) through automatic bank withdrawals.

F or better health, reverse the order of the typical Americans daily caloric intake. Make breakfast your biggest meal, lunch slightly smaller, and dinner the smallest of all.

T hink of someone you couldnt imagine not having in your life. Now pick up the phone and tell them so.

I f youre physically able to ride, buy yourself a bicycle (or rehab the one in your garage). Equip it with a mileage counter and commit to riding thirty miles a week, now. Consider biking to work.

F ierce competition among retailers has made nearly everything returnable. If you dont like the blouse/pants/shirt, return it now. (The swimsuit, youre stuck with.)

S end those thank-you notes, now. Its never too late.

Y ou know the great idea for a screenplay youve been carrying around in your head for eight years? Start writing it down, now.

E nroll in a night class to start learning Spanish, ahora. (Now you already know one word.)

T ake the recycling to the recycling center, now.

G o out to eat at the independent restaurant nearest to your home. Go now, and go on foot if possible. Walking home from a restaurant will make you feel good about yourself.

C hange your furnace filter now. The next time you buy furnace filters, buy a case. It will delight you to buy twelve of something for about ten dollars. Replace your furnace filter once every month during seasons when it is in use.

F ix that dripping faucet, now. (See http://doityourself.com/plumbing/
repairleakywasherfaucet.htm.)

C all or visit your parents. Tell them that you want to hear the most detailed account of their personal histories that they can offer. Listen closely, and take notes or record their words. Begin right now.

U pdate your rsum, now.

B egin replacing the incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs, now. Yes, they cost a bit more initially, but they use one-fourth the electricity and last eight to ten times longer.

T ake the dog for a walk, now.

V ow now to disavow vows. The vow is the enemy of the now. (This will be your last vow.)

A sk your son or daughter what the best thing that happened to them today wasright now.

C ardiovascular disease is Americas number one killer. Read food labels. Become vigilant about what goes into your body. Learn the difference between saturated fats and unsaturated fats. For helpful information, check the American Heart Associations Web site: americanheart.org.

S tart flossing regularly, now.

P ut loose pictures in a photo album, now.

Y ou know how to do stomach crunches. If you want a trimmer waistline and a stronger body, lie down on the floor and begin to do them now. Do them every other day from now on.

T rim off the bottom of the closet door so that it doesnt get stuck on the rug when you open it, now.

I f youre older than thirty-five, male, and it has been more than a year since your last physical exam, call the doctor to schedule an appointment, now.

C hange the batteries in your smoke alarm, now. From now on, choose an important day in the calendar year and commit to changing your alarm batteries on that day every year. (Ideas: your childs birthday, your wedding anniversary, or the day you set your clocks back for daylight saving time.)

G o to the library and pick out a book by an author youve never heard of, now.

M an or woman, summer, fall, spring, or winter, start the day by using a face moisturizer that incorporates sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above. Your face will thank you in twenty years.

B uy flowers on the way home from workfor yourself or for someone you love.

E at a whole-grain cereal with skim milk and a piece of fruit for breakfast every day, starting now.