Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me that lasted more than ten minutes has likely heard me refer to this term. If that’s the case, please pardon the repetition and indulge me if you will. I feel it bears repeating.

Are you ready?

JFN: Three Little Letters that Will Change Your Life.

Perhaps I’ve slight oversold it with my blog’s Life-Changing Concept title, but I’ll let you decide.  Though it probably also bears repeating that people who are too judgemental (also often referred to as Judgey-Pants people) tend to create their own special hell…just sayin’.

Are you ready? JFN means Just For Now. 

On a very pragmatic level it can prove useful when downsizing into a place, where most things you own will NOT jam into the new space. One simply looks at the cobbled together mess and declares, “Well, this basket can hold the toaster, JFN.”  or “JFN, let’s use that busted Ikea lamp here until we can put in a new light.”

It’s a freeing application that’s useful with how you eat, how you live, what you do and when.

For instance, if you’re struggling with having a healthier approach to eating, then, why not JFN, choose to grab an apple instead of a cookie?

It’s kind of that old AA-One Day At A Time approach, but broken down into the tiniest incremental choices. No need to declare that you’re going to run a marathon next week, instead, JFN go for a walk today. Tomorrow you might want to try it again…but no pressure!

If you’re traveling and the plane is delayed, well JFN, why not use this opportunity to read your book instead of railing at the front desk?

Maybe this doesn’t seem like such a life-changing concept… perhaps this oft-used quote might support my cause and prove helpful at this juncture;

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu

Here is a recent example of JFN’s usefulness:

The driver in the reflective wrap-around shades is gunning the engine on his double-cab pickup, coming perilously close to rear-ending me, all while shaking his fist.

Why? Because I slowed, and then stopped, to let another vehicle turn across our northbound lane of traffic. I did this because a), it was a courteous thing to do, and b), it was an intersection and the traffic was a solid snake of car-beasts and this poor man appeared to have no other chance of crossing, and c), um…hello! It’s the law. I believe the official wording is: Block Ye Not the Intersection.

Mr. Revvy-Truck did not agree with my take on the situation and proceeded to threaten me with his gunning motor – coming perilously close to my back bumper. At the next light he swerved into the left turn lane whilst simultaneously braking and revving his shiny truck (such skills!).

There have been many times when I would have been immediately pissed off. In fact, it might have been entirely different an hour before, or even an hour later, I am after all, a work in progress. But this time, I remembered JFN.

What if, JFN, I contributed to a little peace on earth? What if, instead of getting mad at his moronic behaviour, I chose a JFN peace plan?

So, I smiled and waved, giving a cheerful Christmas toot-toot as he turned left and I proceeded straight through the intersection.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear but the cheerful red and blue flashing lights of the police car that had been following behind him.

Ah joy! Ah ha ha ha fa la la. I could NOT stop laughing.

I’m not going to promise that reinforcements will show up every time you practise JFN, but I will promise you a less reactive state and a calmer life.

It’s also great at blowing excuses out of the water. I have had lots of reasons in my life for not starting, or completing, a myriad of projects, most especially when it comes to writing. It sounds a little like this: I can’t start until I have the right desk, the right set-up, the right (fill in the blank here).

Using JFN knocks all those conditional needs out of the ballpark. With JFN as my modus operandi, I can begin anything, anywhere and worry about the perfect conditions another time…

Now? I am going to sit and practise a little meditation to prepare me for my next interactions in the world because, as we all know there will never be peace on earth until there is peace within.

I don’t have the perfect cushion, the perfect Zen space or the perfect anything…but JFN I have a pretty decent sofa and some pillows I can jam under me knees.

JFN I can sit down and shut up. Aren’t you glad?