It’s February; are you still on your road to a healthy lifestyle? Or have you taken a hard turn and find yourself in the ditch, settling in as a dweller, because it’s easier than trying to climb out?

It’s easy to settle for mediocrity. It’s easy to keep going through the daily motion without expectation of moving forward and reaching goals. You don’t have to be positive when you settle for the status quo. You can “like” all the negative memes on social media. You can spout off on the political rants of people you disagree with.

You don’t even have to engage your brain, to sit and wallow in your mediocre circumstances that you’re told will never get any better. You muddle through your day, looking forward to climbing in bed and becoming invisible to the world.

But there isn’t much satisfaction there – just a lot of frustration and sadness. What if you went to bed every night because you were excited to get up the next day? What if you were inspired to be the best at your job? What if you decided today that things needed to change on the farm and in your family?

Last week, I listened to Mark Jewell of Mark Jewell Speaking and Training tell an inspiring story about his father who was a farmer and endured several setbacks throughout life. What I took away from Mark’s hour-long presentation was this: I am the only one who can change my circumstances.

It’s a pretty simple concept, and one I’m sure you have heard before, but how many times do we have to listen to this kind of pep talk before we actually decide to take action?

If I have learned anything in the last few years, is that inch by inch, it’s a cinch. If I take one intentional step today, it will lead to another intentional step tomorrow, just like the old question: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Over the years, I think I’ve been on nearly every spot on the emotional spectrum from depressed to euphoric, and all the stops in between. And I’ve learned a crucial truth: I’m the only one who can change me. And it starts with action.

Whatever small step you need to make today to move your circumstances from mediocre to satisfying, do it. Take that first step today without fear of the consequence. And remember that everything you’re fearful of now will disappear as soon as you move forward.

Maybe you need to make an appointment. Maybe you need to make an apology. Maybe you need to lift up your head and decide you were not created to be a ditch-dweller.

Let me offer some perspective on fear, using a young, ambitious New York Congresswoman who, regardless of where she stands politically, seems to have courage coming out of her ears. If Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has enough fearlessness to sponsor a piece of insane legislation that says we need to ban all air travel and get rid of cows because the world is on track to end in 12 years, and be convinced that we will buy into her green dream, then surely you can muster up the courage to take your next step – whatever it is.

Get out of the ditch.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.