Do you have goals?
Of course you have goals. Do those goals prevent you from enjoying the present?
For the last few years, all I’ve been saying to myself is, “When this happens, then I’ll start living my life”
I’ve been up. I’ve been down. And I’m done always thinking about the future. Yes, I have a ton of things to still work out in my life. But you know what? I’ve been working my butt off the last year, and gosh darn it, I’m not going to let my life pass me by.
So, I’m enjoying things (even simple things) in the here and now. Watching TV. Dinner with my girlfriend. Typing. Reading. Peeing. Whatever.
I’m slowing down and saying, “I’m living for the here and now”
Now, that doesn’t mean I’m blowing my budget or doing anything crazy stupid like that. But I’ve stopped saying, “Well, once I’m out of debt, then I can love” or “Well, once I’m debt free, then I can make a difference”
Anyone have any tips for living in the now without sacrificing the future?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
wow, it seems like everyone is thinking about now. I guess the thing is there is no guarantee the future will come so we have to enjoy life now. With prudence. I got into most of my debt because I wanted to enjoy life NOW and I charged a whole bunch of stuff. I felt that if I waitied to have enough money to do what I wanted, I would never do it. I guess we just have to live within our means – if we want to upgrade our lifestyle we have to be ready to put in the work. The alternative is to accept that we will not have Hilton-type fortune and enjoy our trips to the beach instead of always dreaming about the bahamas or maui or what not.
I've only been reading this blog for a week or so now, and I haven't had a chance to delve into the archives much, so I don't know if you've answered this before, but what do you have for hobbies? I find I spend less money trying to enjoy myself and more money to simply feel like I had it in the first place. When I focus on doing the things I actually love (be it photography, writing, health-related activities, hockey, etc etc). For me, spending money comes down to things I don't need. 4 dollar coffee instead of making my own, and right on down the line.
I've been greatly inspired though by what you've set out to accomplish, and the goals you've already reached. I'm glad I stumbled upon this thing.
Mike, glad you made it here. Honestly, my hobby is this blog : ). Other than that, I have some guy friends I hang with and now my girlfriend. I probably should find some more hobbies….beyond working.
That's something I am trying to tackle as well. I like to enjoy living now and having a social life, traveling, few material items. But know I need to be weary of my future ahead and savings. I know this is the time to save, but also the time to have fun. I have hobbies that cost nothing, reading, gym, playing sports, movie watching, but social life still is costly. How do you guys handle?
My friends are all pretty cheap to entertain. In other words, we don't need money to have a good time. A board game, maybe a rented movie and we are good for an evening. Maybe a beer or two.
haha dk is getting laid on a regular basis now!
That is great you are consciously living in the now. I find that the more I consciously live in the present, the better my life seems. I think it is important to be happy with what you have, look forward to achieving your goals, and continually give back to others. I think you are setting yourself up for a long life of "now" living. You are getting your finances in line and are building your business and investing to give you passive income. You have also added in a personal relationship which I think helps to live in the "now." Good job, DK! I would rather work to expand my means, by acquiring and creating assets, rather than living below my means. In doing that, you can focus on the "now."
Hi Debt Kid
I’m very happy that you no longer letting your debt to hold you back from living your life and enjoying it in the present. You already made a lot of progress in reducing your debt and growing your business. If you continue to fight it, it’ll sooner or later disappear. That’s why you shouldn’t worry about it anymore. Start living your life and enjoying simple things.
Your situation reminded me of my situation. In my case it’s not debt that holds me back from living my life. It’s my stuttering that prevents me from living my life. Right now I’m working very hard to change all this and make major improvements in my life.
I also see that your blog is making a difference in the world. It shows people what’s possible when they put their mind to it and are very determined. In fact your blog was one of the reasons why I decided to start my own blog recently in order to share with people my journey to freedom from my stuttering. I hope with time both of us will have big success!
PS: You can visit my blog at IamFacingStuttering.blogspot.com.
Mark, thanks for the comment and best of luck with your blog! We all have different roadblocks that keep us down, it looks like you are finding a good outlet to deal with one of yours.