I decided to train for my first half marathon a little over a month ago, not only because I wanted to accomplish something during quarantine, but also because I just wanted to see if I could do it. I have been thinking about running a half, or even full marathon since I was fourteen years old — I finally decided to go through with it.

Last week I crossed the finish line after a grueling 13.1 miles. I barely even crossed the finish line, because at 13.07 miles I fell to the ground overcome with sickness. My sisters and mom were cheering me on at the end of the race and pushed me to finish the mere 0.03 miles I had left. Isn't that crazy? I could make it to 13.07 miles and that last .03 almost ended me, but it didn't.

I finished that race, and honestly, it was a huge revelation for me.

Sure, running this race taught me the obvious and cliché lessons like "you can do anything you put your mind to" or "just keep swimming" and even "you didn't come this far to only come this far." But what did this experience really teach me? The first thing that came to mind when I finished the race, was that it taught me to never run a half marathon ever again. Of course, that's not really what I'm referring to here. I

think that the biggest thing this run taught me was — if not now, when?

I have lived my entire life as the president of a "procrastination nation." For those of you unfamiliar with this land, it is one where procrastinators do what they do best — procrastinate.

For example, in high school, I would do homework assignments in the hallway just minutes before they were due. Throughout my entire childhood, I also would ignore my mom's requests to clean my room until I thought she would burst from the mess. And I even put off phone calls and scheduling appointments until they were well overdue. But now I've realized that procrastination was the biggest thing holding me back from everything that I wanted to do. Not only was procrastination holding me back from having a clean room and well-thought-out homework assignments, but it was preventing me from doing the big things — the things that I've always wanted to do. I would always say, "I'll do it tomorrow" or "maybe someday," and that felt fine until I realized how much I could actually do, and how good I could feel, without procrastination working against me.

It isn't always easy, or even possible, to do all of the things that you've always wanted to do, especially during this time. However, it is still possible to say farewell to procrastination for good. Wake up in the morning and do all the things — finish that annoying homework assignment, do the daunting workout, get the work done, and do not keep telling yourself you will do it later.

The cycle of "I'll do it tomorrow" becomes vicious, and leads to a life of unfulfillment and constantly dreading the things you have been putting off for so long.

Freeing yourself of procrastination will not only lift an enormous weight off your shoulders, but it will finally push you to do that thing you've always wanted to do. Whether it be trying that new recipe, traveling to a destination that has always been on your bucket list (post-COVID, of coure), or maybe — just maybe — running a half marathon.