Be in the present, or in the future?

We hear about being present, living in the moment, being grateful for what we have. But how to reconcile that with being ambitious and goal-driven?

Let’s create a basic distinction: present time and future time.

Present time is time spent being in the moment, enjoying an experience, feeling grateful for what we have. The only concern is the now.

Future time is time spent cultivating some sort of future advantage, working on a project, preparing a trip, planning a meeting. Future time produces progress.

Future time may not bring about an advantage however. It depends on risk levels, compentency and luck.

If you’ve put yourself into a good position with future time, you can affort to spend more time in the now.

The more you enjoy the now, the less likely you are to feel compelled to move into the future. This can lead to trapping oneself in some form of immediate gratification feedback loop.

The aim is keeping a dynamic equilibrium between the two.

A person too much in the now might be stuck or too relaxed to be functional in society.

A person too much in the future might not enjoy anything for the shiny vision of a better future and be constantly dissatisfied.

How much time do you spend in the now?
How much in the future?

Which do you need more of?