We only have now
Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about the future that we forget about the now.
Sure, it’s important to plan ahead. Critical even.
Things like retirement planning, earning enough money to pay the bills, saving up for large expenses, etc. shouldn’t be neglected.
But it’s also important to participate in the here and now. To really be present.
Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
The trick is to find a balance between them.
I try to do this by putting much of my planning-ahead things on autopilot (or at least scheduling them at regular intervals on the calendar). Then I check at regular intervals to be sure that my goals and dreams are still underway.
At the same time, I remind myself each day to enjoy the people and events in my life. I find it especially helpful to try and just do one thing at a time.
As a silly example, both a Popsicle and a book are each more enjoyable when they’re savored as a single activity. (As opposed to chowing down while reading.)
Enjoying the now doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money, although it might. It just requires paying attention.
July 20th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Great post! I could not agree more. Money is only a means to an end. This end is our well-being and happiness. I think sometimes we forget that and money dominates our lives. My wife and I try to remind ourselves of this “little” fact hopefully often enough so that we don’t lose sight of it.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
This is great! I am a huge worrier and I really need to learn to calm down and enjoy the moment. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. :) Thanks for posting this!
July 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Glad you guys liked the post :)
Mrs. Money, here’s a saying I use for worry: “Nothing good ever comes from worry. There is no redeeming value in worry. If I’m worried about something and can DO something about it, I’ll do it. Otherwise, I’ll let it go.”
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:51 am
Great post – if you’re constantly planning and living in the future you’ll miss out all of the things happening now. When you spend all of your time planning and worrying about the future you might miss out on all of the important things in life like your childs first step or word and those are moments you will never get back. Living in the now has a lot more benefits than trying to plan the future.
Not to mention if you plan too much you’ll be frustrated when the time comes because life has a way of changing things up and even the best laid plans aren’t perfect.