4 Steps To Be Present Today To Create The Life You Want For Tomorrow

I am fascinated by the journey’s people take in their lifetime.

Specifically, I find it so interesting to note the variances of paths that people choose that feels authentic to themselves.

Each story has its purpose.

Each person has their “why.”

We all have our personal reasons for implementing the “big” moves in life. Like moving to a different state, or taking a year off to travel, or leaving a corporate job to find a career that fulfills us.

My guess is that many people had a nudge in life, in the present moment, where everything clicked in their head and that propelled them to take their next step.

What story do you want to live? What will you look back on in life and admire what you did, what you learned, and what relationships you kept close?

How do you want to feel when you are 90 years old?

My hope is that you feel fulfilled, you had adventures, and you found love.

My personal interest in this topic has led me into a deep dive of understanding how people craft a mindset for a life that they are proud of. An understanding of what drove them to make such big decisions in life that some may say are risky. I’ve read personal development books, listened to podcasts, and subscribed to blog newsletters to tap into inspiration from others who are living the dream life they created.

A commonality I find among all of them is this, to start with the end in mind.

Watch this short TED talk about an interesting way of finding the mindset of living the life you want, starting with the end in mind.

Video Credit: TED Talks

While I appreciate the idea of forward thinking and goal setting, I want to add the power of being present with what is happening now.

The well-known yoga teacher, Baron Baptiste, says this perfectly.

“All life happens in the present moment. All we really have is the moment that is right here, right now, in front of us. Any moment that happened in the past is a memory, and any moment that will happen in the future is a fantasy. Memories and fantasies can be very nice, but they lead us nowhere except into the past, which no longer exists, or the future which doesn’t exist yet. The past and the future are not places. They are, essentially, nowhere. So you see, you are either now here or nowhere.”

– Baron Baptiste

So, if we have goals and dreams for the future, but yoga wants us to focus on the present moment, my suggestion is to live fully present today to create the life you want for tomorrow.

Let’s unpack that a bit more.

Ask yourself, what can I do (or start) today that will move me closer to my goal tomorrow?

Before you dive in, because that is a loaded question above, I suggest you schedule a time for yourself to do this reflection. Start with a yoga practice to clear out physical blocks and then grab a pen and paper and start writing.

4 Steps to be Present Today to Create the Life You Want for Tomorrow

1. Start with the end in mind

Write as detailed as you can about your ideal life in the future. It may be next year, 10 years from now, or longer. You decide but pick a deadline. Consider the following:

Where do you live? What kind of house do you have?
What people are in your life, how do they make you feel?
What does your day-to-day look like?
What kinds of food do you eat?

Write all the details. Make it feel real.

2. Reverse engineer your way back to today

In order for you to achieve “X” in 10 years, then first you must do “Y” and “Z”.

Map out the steps all the way back to today, even include all of the baby steps, they count too.

Now you have an actual plan in front of you.

3. Bring your future life to the present moment, make it real life today

Read what you wrote every day. I even suggest to make it like a story. Be detailed in your writing so you capture what it will really be like when you live it out.

Read your story in the morning or at night, but carve out the time to read what you wrote every day. This part is crucial. Keep your vision in front of your mind so it stays present. The more you visualize it, the more your brain becomes programmed to embed this vision into your head. And your daily decisions will start to automatically support the lifestyle you have set out for yourself.

Every day, do one thing that moves you closer to your goals. Cross something off your list every day. Again, even the baby steps are an act of moving forward.

4. Have gratitude for your journey vs worrying about where you want to be

This is the biggest yoga part of this process, stay present every day in what you are doing and give gratitude for where you are at. Resist wishing or stressing about not being there today. The greatest stories we make in our lives are in our journey toward our goals.