diff --git a/README.rdoc b/README.rdoc
index 0b966eb..6364857 100644
--- a/README.rdoc
+++ b/README.rdoc
@@ -112,6 +112,26 @@ Using the I18n system to define new defaults:
 The %{restriction} signifies where the interpolation value for the restriction will be inserted.
 
 
+=== RESTRICTION OPTION SHORTHAND
+
+It is common to restrict an attribute to being on or before the current time or current day. 
+To specify this you need to use a lambda as an option value e.g. <tt>lambda { Time.now }</tt>.
+This can be tedious noise amongst your validations for something so common. To combat this the
+plugin allows you to use shorthand symbols for often used relative times or dates.
+
+Just provide the symbol as the option value like so:
+
+  validates_date :birth_date, :on_or_before => :today
+
+The :today symbol is evaluated as <tt>lambda { Date.today }.call</tt>. The :now and :today
+symbols are pre-configured. Configure your own like so:
+
+  # in the setup block
+  config.restriction_shorthand_symbols.update(
+    :yesterday => lambda { 1.day.ago }
+  )
+
+
 === DUMMY DATE FOR TIME TYPES
 
 Given that Ruby has no support for a time-only type, all time type columns are evaluated
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness.rb
index 923d6e5..9b08d39 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
   mattr_accessor :ignore_restriction_errors
   @@ignore_restriction_errors = defined?(Rails) ? !Rails.env.test? : false
 
+  # Shorthand time and date symbols for restrictions
+  mattr_accessor :restriction_shorthand_symbols
+  @@restriction_shorthand_symbols = {
+    :now   => lambda { Time.now },
+    :today => lambda { Date.today }
+  }
+
   # Setup method for plugin configuration
   def self.setup
     yield self
diff --git a/lib/validates_timeliness/conversion.rb b/lib/validates_timeliness/conversion.rb
index 4e77a06..b47dae5 100644
--- a/lib/validates_timeliness/conversion.rb
+++ b/lib/validates_timeliness/conversion.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
       when String
         value.to_time(:local)
       when Symbol
-        evaluate_option_value(record.send(value), record)
+        if !record.respond_to?(value) && restriction_shorthand?(value)
+          ValidatesTimeliness.restriction_shorthand_symbols[value].call
+        else
+          evaluate_option_value(record.send(value), record)
+        end
       when Proc
         result = value.arity > 0 ? value.call(record) : value.call
         evaluate_option_value(result, record)
@@ -40,5 +44,9 @@ module ValidatesTimeliness
       end
     end
 
+    def restriction_shorthand?(symbol)
+      ValidatesTimeliness.restriction_shorthand_symbols.keys.include?(symbol)
+    end
+
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/validates_timeliness/conversion_spec.rb b/spec/validates_timeliness/conversion_spec.rb
index 4370146..4765f89 100644
--- a/spec/validates_timeliness/conversion_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/validates_timeliness/conversion_spec.rb
@@ -150,5 +150,25 @@ describe ValidatesTimeliness::Conversion do
       person.birth_time = value
       evaluate_option_value(:birth_time, person).should == Time.mktime(2010,1,1,12,0,0)
     end
+
+    context "restriction shorthand" do
+      before do
+        Timecop.freeze(Time.mktime(2010, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0))
+      end
+
+      it 'should evaluate :now as current time' do
+        evaluate_option_value(:now, person).should == Time.now
+      end
+
+      it 'should evaluate :today as current time' do
+        evaluate_option_value(:today, person).should == Date.today
+      end
+
+      it 'should not use shorthand if symbol if is record method' do
+        time = 1.day.from_now
+        person.stub!(:now).and_return(time)
+        evaluate_option_value(:now, person).should == time
+      end
+    end
   end
 end