The Paradox of Presence Vs. Planning (1.18.23)

Lately, I’ve been very intentional about being present and in the moment—leaving my cell phone in another room in the evenings and on another desk during client meetings, using DND during yoga, and trying to eliminate other distractions that take my attention elsewhere when with people or working on a task.

I’m finding the intentional efforts having a positive impact on my life and hopefully those around me too as they are getting more of me as well as a better version.

If we follow the teachings of spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle, the present is the only time that really exists as the past is a merely a memory—a story we tell ourselves—and the future has yet to happen.

Neither the past nor future really exists...

And this is where I find myself spending time in meditation thinking about how to plan for the future without spending too much time and energy on a time that does not exist.

Is it possible to fully live only in the present? And if it is, should we?

THEN HOW DO WE PLAN?

It’s in my nature to think about the future. My career is centered around helping people determine what they want to accomplish in their life, the experience they want to have, and then creating a plan to help align their finances with those details. I cannot create a plan without having an understanding of where we are going, which requires spending at least some time thinking about the future.

As I think about this paradox between the present and planning, I wonder if there is a difference between thinking about the future and living in the future? Is there a line we cross where we leave the present moment of envisioning the life we’d like to live and begin to live in a moment that does not exist, taking us away from experiencing the present moment?

I don’t know…

I don’t have the answer but I think it is an important thought exercise for any serious about spending more time in the present…and honestly, I’ve enjoyed thinking about it.

As of today, in this present moment, the conclusion I’ve arrived at is that we can remain in the present while thinking about the future. It’s important that we do spend time envisioning the future version of our Self we want to become, understanding our“why” behind it, and beginning to embody that version of our Self in the present moment. Doing this does not take us away from being present and it is an important part of the process of manifestation. We can’t create the future we desire without believing it can be and we can’t believe in something we don’t spend time thinking about.

Without thinking about the future we can’t plan, align resources, and focus our energy which are all important parts of the journey.

What we should avoid is becoming obsessed with the future (or the past for the matter)…spending too much time thinking about it. Once you know where you are going, return to the present and enjoy the process of moving toward the future version of your Self you’ve created.

It’s a fine line and I’m no expert in being present, but I am being more present more often, which is all I can do.

Having the awareness of when my thoughts are spending too much time in the future will help with returning to the present and I encourage you to pay more attention to what timeline your thoughts live on. Are they in the past, present, or the future?

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC