Is Living In The Present Better Than Planning For The Future?
This post was last updated on July 12th, 2023
Recent studies suggest that our thoughts mostly comprise of our plans for the future. Since future is highly unpredictable, we all fear of losing against one another in securing worldly desires. Moreover, whenever we think of the past, the next thing we think about is automatically, our future. It is believed that we all have come on this Earth for a destined purpose and it is certainly not wrong in planning for a bright future.
It is in fact a good practice of planning your goals and deciding the order in which they are to be achieved. Also you should plan goals on the basis of feasibility and plan steps to fulfil your goals, whether in personal or professional space. If you follow this schedule while planning, then you are certainly taking personal responsibility of leading life your way.
But it is also a matter of fact that we all are obsessed with planning and widening the outreach of our plans. We mostly talk about our aims for the future but what are we doing now? We all are working for the indefinite future to possess more joy and happiness. But are we not sacrificing our present happiness? Focusing too much on planning for the future will accumulate stress and you may not be able to enjoy your present.
So in the war of planning for the future and living in the present, it is better to draft plans not at the cost of sacrificing the enjoyable moments in the present. It is better to enjoy the joyous moments in the present as losing it will make it a matter of the past. Enlisted below are the points advocating whether living in the present better than planning for the future:
1. Live Every Moment
Life is too short to spend repenting on things happened in the past or to spend dreaming about the future. You live for a destined period of time on this Earth and times flies without giving notice. You need to grab every moment for yourself and make most of it. You must understand that there is no surety whether you will be alive to see the plans realising in the future.
So instead of fearing death or crying over the moments lost in dreaming, you should reap the benefits of the present moment. But remember one thing, you can enjoy your life only when you value your present and forget your past. Make plans for the future and design actions to realise them but not by sacrificing your special moments in the present.
2. Take A Break From Thoughts Of Future
When you think too much about your tomorrow, you tend to build up stress and worries. Since we all live in a society, we have our friend circle and colleagues at work. Their lifestyle patterns can have much influence on our thought process. Many a times, it is the feeling of competition that drives you to think profusely about the future as you want to accumulate more and more wealth.
You start worrying about how your family will cope up with the rising prices, what kind of education you will be able to give to your kids and what luxuries you will own when you grow older. These questions will bring anxiety in you and may also direct you towards negativity. Since this will adversely affect your health, you need to fix your health condition by living in the present and take a respite from the thoughts of future. You need to meditate now to reap its benefit tomorrow. Whenever your mind thinks about the future, simply ask it whether it is necessary to think now?
3. Plans Often Don’t Realise The Way It Is Imagined
The gap between imagination and reality ends when you face the reality. It is commonly found that plans don’t always realise the way it is thought or planned. Many a times, your plan may attain success and they also can fail miserably. You might react in case of non-effectiveness of the plan as being either upset or you can even accept it and move on. Success and failure is part of life. While success fills you with joy, you should not let failures ruin your present. Rather you should learn from your present and learn that planning rigorously for the future can attract disappointment too. So sometimes live life with the flow and let your fate decide something for you too.
Related: 10 Amazing Tips To Feel Happy Instantly
4. You Are In Complete Control Of The Present
You will keep on planning for the future, while you are completely unaware what the destiny has in store for you. You have no control over what the future will bring for you and no control on the past as you cannot go back and click Undo to change things you didn’t wish for. But you are in complete control of your present. It is up to you, if you want to live the moment or lose the moment. Enjoy the present moment rather making it a wasted moment of the past. Also sketch plans for the future to improve your quality of living but take control of your present and prioritise living in today.
5. You Will Feel Happier & Contented
If you start analysing the worth of the present moment then you will surely understand that you are much more contented and happy now in comparison to your past. Also you disregard the beauty of living in present moment by thinking and planning too much about the future. Future is uncertain for all. No one can tell about your future in advance. You need to be happy and contented to witness a bright future. Plan when you need to but focus on what is happening currently.
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Snehashree Bhat
A young writer who loves to pen words from creative perspective. Passionate internet surfer, a versatile homemaker and a person who finds pleasure in adopting healthier and positive changes in her persona. An enthusiastic feminist who wishes to make serious changes in the stereotypical thought process of the society via the voice of her words.