This Lou Holtz quote serves as motivation to say “thank goodness” when we’ve moved past the worst and the best is yet to be.

Some of us remember the turnaround Coach Lou Holtz engineered in the late 1980s at Notre Dame. He took over a losing football team and in three years won a national championship. Holtz said during that third year, “We’re not where we want to be. We’re not where we need to be. But, thank goodness we’re not where we used to be.”

That statement came to mind recently when an email from Google Alerts pointed me to something Amazon Music had featured…an old podcast episode of mine. I clicked and was taken to an episode released in March of 2020. I’m sharing it now for two reasons.

Think about where we were

Think for a moment what was happening in our world in March just three short years ago. Now, we’re back to shopping, going to concerts and athletic events, and generally gathering together just like we used to do. And many of us are taking it all for granted again.

Yes, we’re still dealing with the aftermath of 2020, and we’re “not where we want to be.” But thinking back to 2020, “thank goodness we’re not where we used to be.”

Hearing my own words come back to me

The second reason I mention this episode from the archives is it was a message I needed to hear again. My call to action for you today is go to the link Google Alerts sent me and listen to a 5-minute episode.

When the world shut down, all we had was time. In the episode, entitled “Now You Have the Time,” I gave the listening audience specific suggestions that are as applicable today as they were then.

Then, continue to listen to the next two segments that will automatically play. They are follow-ups to the first. In those episodes, we ask the questions, “Are You Better?” and “Are You Ready?“.

“When the Good Times Come Again”

Teens of my generation remember the days when Barry Manilow was at the top of the charts. But in June of 2020, it was a song released in 1989 that suddenly hit #12 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It was called “When the Good Times Come Again.” It’s worth the listen. Take a moment to click the link. I’ll wait.

And in many ways, they have come again…thank goodness

It’s been said life is like an English lesson: We make the “present tense” and the “past perfect.” Nostalgia has its way of erasing yesterday’s problems. This new year, 2023, offers 365 blank pages for you and me to fill. The “good times” are often in the eyes of the beholders. When we read the history books and when we look at what’s happening in other parts of our world today, it’s a reminder of just how good we’ve got it.

So my message is simple. On this January day, you and I have the gift of time, all the time there is. Every good thing we will do happens through the decision we make about how we use the time we have. As we move from day to day, ask ourselves, “Are you better?” And when opportunities present themselves, “Are you ready?”

Life is too short and time too precious to waste one more day. If you are someone who stumbled upon this site for the first time, let me help you take a major step forward right now. When you join my email list, I’ll give you two free gifts. The first will get your desk clean. The second will put everything you have to do in one place. Plus, each week you’ll hear from me with nuts & bolts tools and strategies to make life easier and more productive. You’re one click away from making it happen.