We are living in the moment and so we would consider the present the only thing we can control.
We cannot influence the past and only control the future through the present.
Without getting philosophical, isn’t life about planning for the future?
Every day we usually do things to see either monetary, physical or pleasurely gain in order to spend more time with family and simply enjoy life more.
We sacrifice our present time for the future which is a good idea.
Blowing $500 on Coachella, fancy dinners and those Millenial hip sustainable experiences can be fun, but also deadly and realistically not worth it tomorrow.
They bring you happiness but more regret the next day that will end up translating into debt, depression, and a deeper hole.
I don’t want sound dramatic here but this is the problem we all face at least a couple times a day.
We believe that the present moment is all that we got so we must live it up.
I’m sure that’s a quote form, someone.
Actually, don’t we all say that?
Isn’t that why smokers, addicts, drinkers, and binge eaters exist?
They are too focus on the present and train their minds to let go of the future.
The future is so much more powerful than the present and in order to understand why we must uncover what the present really entails:
-The present is now. Tomorrow or in an hour is already the future. As frustrating as this may sound, what you do now, dictates what will happen later. We seem to forget this all the time.
-And you are not the average of the people you spend time with. You can be hanging out with unmotivated friends and still be the leader in the group because you guide your own ship. External factors shouldn’t influence you.
-You will always be able to change but don’t wait to die your hair pink and get tatoos after you graduated HS
-Life is longer than we think and goes pretty slowly most of the time so speed it up and think about what you can do.
These are some thoughts that I take into account that help me conceptualize what I’m doing at this present moment and make sure I’m utilizing it, effectively.
I don’t overthink it that much and getting excited about the future helps me reach my goals, not deteriorate them.
But for some, it can be the opposite.
Planning for the future is scary and not fun, especially during these volatile times.
But when you look back in 40 years, you will thank yourself that you took into account the what, hows, and whys of your situation.
This will in fact bring more ease to your present life now, something we all need more of later.
How to Help Plan For The Future:
-Don’t go crazy with unrealistic dreams. Outline what, where, how, why
-Not knowing and imagining any goal will help you stay more relaxed now
-Don’t go crazy and make something up if you are unsure how life will play out
-Life is unpredictable but being prepared for the worst times during the best times will help you live better than most during the hardest times.
We get caught up in our mind and that dopamine hit in a party, that we don’t realize until we are wasted that we need a day to recover and a bank account to support.
Thinking about the future by simply reminding ourselves about tomorrow will help you stay on a better track.
By doing this, your physical and mental health will be more on track and you will get farther in life.
But remember, don’t make this a competition or try to predict anything.
Billionaire hedge fund investors and even mind readers cannot predict what will happen next but they know that getting out of the present for a majority of your life (autopilot) and setting yourself up for greatness down the road is a more fulfilling road for today’s happiness.