Let me tell you a story about somebody who had big hopes for his future, but procrastination got in his way.

This is the story about Johnny.

Johnny was from New Jersey, and Johnny was going to school part-time, and then he dropped out.

He was going to college part-time, and he was a salesperson.

He was a pretty good salesman.

Every day at lunch, no matter where he was, he came back and went to the exact same diner. He sat in the exact same place and he ordered the exact same meal.

You think, “Well, he must have really liked the diner.”

No, no, no. He really liked the waitress.

Every day he gave her a really good tip, but he was so tongue-tied, so taken by her, he could hardly talk to her.

One day he left the diner.

He was disgusted with himself, because he thought, “I’m going to ask her out today,” but other than ordering, he couldn’t say anything to her.

He said, “Okay. I figured this out.

“The reason I can’t talk to her is I don’t feel like I’m good enough for her.

“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to go back to school. I’m going to get my degree.

“I’m going to go to the gym.

“I’m going to lose weight.

“I’m going to get in better shape.

“I’m going to make more money at work.

“Then a year from today, I’m going to come back and ask her out for a date.

“I’m not going to show up for a whole year, but every single day, I’m going to write her an old-fashioned snail-mail letter, and the mailman will deliver it.”

He kept resolute.

The next day he joined a gym. He went down to the school, signed up for courses.

He started doing better at work.

As the months went by, things started working out, and every single day the mailman delivered his letter.

Now a year had passed.

Of course, he wrote her.

She never, ever wrote him back. He said, “Well, I’m going to come in next Friday.

“I’m going to ask you out.”

He says, “Now I look different. I have a better car, and I dress better, and I got my degree.

“Everything’s going great, and I want to go on a date with you.”

He came into the diner, and when she saw him, she ran over and threw her arms around him, and he said, “Wow, that’s a good sign.”

Then he sat down in his old seat, and he ordered the same old meal.

He said, “Well, you know why I’m here.

“Will you go on a date this weekend?”

She said, “I’d love to, but I can’t.”

He said, “Well, why can’t you?”

She said, “Well, I just got engaged.”

He said, “Who did you get engaged to?”

She said, “The mailman.”

While Johnny was getting ready, the mailman was taking care of business.

Read more about procrastination here. And no, don't put this off!