The Great Balancing Act

I am hardwired to think ahead. Anytime I am given something to do it is difficult for me to just take the next step without first thinking about the twenty steps that will follow. This is something that comes in handy in any sort of strategic planning but is a pain in the ass when I’m trying to do just any normal thing.

Everything we do doesn’t require thinking twenty steps ahead. In fact, most things don’t.

Most things are best consumed in the moment. This is a struggle for me, which is why I have tattooed the phrase “be all there” to my wrist, reminding me to stop that impulse to strategically plan and to just be all there. Many people don’t have this problem, but rather the opposite; some people have no problem being in the moment but struggle to remember that their current actions impact their future selves.

I came across a great short Ted video on NPR that referenced a study by Psychologist Hal Hershfield who observed the effects of applying an age filter to our own video. Apparently when we see an accurate picture of an old gray haired us, we are more likely to plan ahead and save for retirement. 

Walking the line between picturing our future selves, and trying to focus on our current selves, is the greatest balancing act that we will ever do. How do we not worry about tomorrow while still planning for tomorrow? How do we make the most of today, while still thinking of the future? When is it okay to spend the money - yolo! - and when should we say no and save it?

When we walk the line between two extremes, the only "right" answer that will be the same for everyone is recognizing that there is a line to walk at all. We cannot completely sacrifice the future for the moment, and we should never completely sacrifice the moment for the future. It is a decision every time and the best we can do is to try and keep the scales as even as we can.