esterday, I had a full-on existential couch potato moment. You know the one—you’re sprawled on the couch, staring at the ceiling, and contemplating life’s big questions, like, “Why haven’t I written my book?” and “How does my couch always eat my socks?” My to-do list was screaming for attention: writing a novel, finishing my online courses, launching my YouTube channel. And what was I doing? Absolutely nothing, except auditioning for the role of a modern-day sloth.

Here’s the thing: I wasn’t lazy. (Okay, a little lazy.) But mostly, I was waiting. Waiting for the perfect time. The perfect mood. The perfect burst of creative energy where I’d morph into some kind of productivity superhero. Spoiler alert: That perfect moment? It doesn’t exist.

My Couch Epiphany

As I lay there, weighed down by both guilt and snacks, I decided to try something different. I didn’t leap up and conquer my entire dream list (who am I, Wonder Woman?), but I did something.

I got up, shuffled around the room, popped in my earbuds, and started listening to a long-neglected audiobook while walking in circles like a caffeinated hamster. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it worked. Those 20 minutes of walking:

• Got me 20% closer to my daily workout goal.
• Checked off “finally listen to that book” from my guilt pile.
• Gave me a tiny boost of “Hey, I’m not totally useless today!”

Small actions, but they got me moving—literally and figuratively.

Tiny Chunks of Progress

After my walk, I made myself a lemon tea (because tea solves everything), and out of nowhere, an idea hit me for the book I’ve been avoiding for months. I grabbed my notebook and wrote down four sentences. Just four. But you know what? Four sentences are better than zero sentences.

And that’s when I realized: I’ve been spending way too much time waiting for the mythical “perfect time” to make progress. I’d been looking for hours when all I needed were minutes.

Enter Someday Is Today

This little revelation got a serious boost when I picked up Matthew Dicks’ book, Someday Is Today. Let me tell you, it’s a game-changer. One of his core ideas is that time isn’t something you find; it’s something you make. If we keep waiting for those big, perfect blocks of time, we’ll be waiting forever.

Dicks talks about using “slivers of time” to chip away at your goals. Those tiny windows—two minutes while waiting for your coffee to brew, five minutes in line at the grocery store—are opportunities. Instead of scrolling Instagram or zoning out, you could brainstorm ideas, jot down notes, or even meditate. (Okay, maybe not in the grocery store. People might stare.)

He also hits hard on the idea that procrastination is a thief, stealing the life you could be living. Every time you say, “I’ll do it later,” you’re letting the thief win. And let’s be honest—later is code for never.

A New Way to Think About Time

Inspired by Someday Is Today and my own walk-and-tea breakthrough, I decided to treat my time like a mosaic. Life isn’t one big canvas; it’s made up of tiny, colorful tiles. Here’s how I’m piecing mine together:

• 5 minutes: Jot down blog ideas, declutter my desk, or reply to that one email I’ve been ignoring.
• 10 minutes: Stretch, meditate, or listen to a quick podcast.
• 20 minutes: Walk while brainstorming or draft a scrappy version of a YouTube script.
• 30 minutes: Dive into a creative project without worrying if it’s perfect.

Every little chunk adds up. It’s not about doing everything at once; it’s about doing something consistently.

The Beauty of Crappy First Drafts

Another gem from Dicks’ book is the beauty of “crappy first drafts.” Whether you’re writing, painting, or planning, the first version doesn’t have to be good—it just has to exist. Those four sentences I wrote for my book? Not exactly Pulitzer-worthy, but they’re there. And that’s better than the perfect sentences I never got around to writing.

Butter’s New Time Mantra

Here’s the deal: waiting for the magical hour is a waste of time. The magic is in the minutes you actually use. Whether it’s scribbling down half-baked ideas or walking in circles while listening to a book, every little action nudges you closer to your goals.

So if you’re lying on your couch, waiting for inspiration to strike, get up. Brew some tea. Walk around. Do something, no matter how small. Because someday isn’t a far-off, magical place. Someday is today, and it starts with what you do in the next five minutes.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got 10 minutes to write a plot twist for my book and 20 minutes to edit a YouTube script. No magical hour required.