Let me start with a quote from Montaigne:Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.

For me at least, and I suspect for you, it is easier to understand how being pulled back into the past robs us of this moment, than to understand how our mad dash into the future can compromise us even more.

Past pain, suffering, memories, regrets are things we often travel back in time to relive as if somehow we can change an outcome and make our present a brighter place. We have seen people who live completely in some past drama that they are unaware of their present. Yet we are not as well versed in living our lives in tomorrow because it seems so natural for us to do that.

The simple act of planning out the day can pull us away from the present without even realizing we’ve left. Without this ability to plan forward in time, we would be in serious trouble. So consciously planning out your day, your week, your month is fine what we need to be careful of is putting off all our today’s for that brighter promise of tomorrow.

We build dreams and vision boards, and plan vacations and we begin unconsciously to live for these things, these future moments of pleasure, to live for the moment when we are rewarded with our desire after all the hard work.

But here is the walk along a very fine line. Planning consciously the direction of our life is important but we cannot become so attached to that future result that we blind ourselves to today.

We all say thing like this: “I can’t wait until Friday because I am going out with my hot new date”, or “Only three more days and I am on vacation!” or “I wish it would hurry up and be the weekend.”

My grandfather use to say, every time he heard one of us uttering a phrase like that…”Don’t wish away your life.”
His words are very wise.

So how do you plan for the future without falling into the trap of living there also?

The answer is to be aware, to increase your consciousness, to pay attention to how much you live for tomorrow.

Here are a four of simple steps you can take to spend more time here in the now moment, that trying to live in a time that will never ever get here: Tomorrow.

1. Sit down with your journal, and write out all the things you have been waiting to happen in your life… that would be a significant improvement in you day to day. Just list everything you come up with that you are expecting to happen in the future. Keep the journal close at hand and jot down things as they come to you. (You are building awareness.)

2. Now go back over your list, and ask yourself. “What am I doing right now to manifest that future event?” Write down what comes up.

3. If you find that you have nothing you are doing today to bring about that item in the future ask this: “Is this just a fantasy to pull me out of something today, or am I serious about this?

4. If you aren’t serious about it, let it go, release it, visualize it flying away on wings. But if it is something you are interested in, then write out one or two actions you can do to manifest that item.

What does this exercise do? It increases your awareness of what is pulling you into the future, and gives you actions to do today, which will center you in the now.

Just one last thing: As you do the exercises allow yourself to be open for the guidance that comes to you. There is a messenger waiting to help you right now.

Author's Bio: 

Nick Grimshawe has written hundreds of articles ranging from food and wine to self development and spirituality. He is the editor and publisher of http://beautifulsummermorning.com and the Beautiful Summer Morning Newsletter. You can subscribe for free here: http://beautifulsummermorning.com/subscribe-today He is currently at work on his first book and an e-book about his experiences getting off diabetic medication. He is also developing a course on how to find your life purpose.