"The time is now"

This statement is so true.
I've heard many, many different people repeat this statement lately. They've said it in regards to family history and learning, among other things. And I believe that this statement applies to about everything. Now is the time to do your homework, now is the time prioritize your life, now is the time to choose the right. You could use this for anything, but I think it only truly takes effect on us when we apply it to things that help us progress in life. Not progressing on your high level on a video game or your status on Facebook. I mean things like education and character. Things that can help us in the future.
Now is the time. It's not 'the time is later' or 'the time is in fifteen minutes.' The time is truly now. The time to sit around and slouch is over. Now we need to stand up for the things we believe in. And it's not going to be easy; in fact it's like what Neal A. Maxwell said, "All the easy things...have been done."1
It's not hard to the easy things, but it takes courage to do the things that challenge us. And that's what shapes our character. If all we do is the easy things then we won't have the guts to do the hard things when they come along. If we do the hard things then we become callused and firm.

You have to do the hard things. 

• You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.
• You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
• You have to give more than you get in return right away.
• You have to care more about others than they care about you.
• You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
• You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
• You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
• You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
• You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.
• You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.
• You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
• You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts.”
• You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
• You have to try and fail and try again.
• You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.
• You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.
• You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.
• You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.
• You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.

You have to do the hard things. The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.

Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.

The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.

The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.

Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are. 2

I really like this. I especially like the end where it says, "Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are." By doing the hard things, you really can change. Watch someone who prepares for a marathon or something like that. How do they change? Or, better yet, watch someone who stops an addiction and completely turns their life around. Or, even better, do it something yourself and watch yourself change. "You might be surprised at how amazing you really are."

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1 Neal A. Maxwell, “The Old Testament: Relevancy within Antiquity”
2 Unfortunately, I don't know who wrote this but my best guess is a guy named Dan Waldschmidt, but don't quote me on that