“What’s the world’s greatest lie?”
“It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
–The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
PARADIGM SHIFT
Balancing Today With Tomorrow
How much of today should I sacrifice for a better tomorrow?
It’s the age-old question.
And there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But here’s the obvious truth: you shouldn’t sacrifice 100% of either!
So there has to be a tradeoff. When we experience tragedies like the COVID-19 pandemic or destructive hurricanes on the East Coast, our sense of continuity gets disrupted.
We can be tempted to put more weight on the present enjoyment of life at the expense of the future.
Alternatively, when everything is going well and systematically, we can be reasonably content to sacrifice a good deal of today for a better future.
We often go through seasons where we weight the value of the present and the future differently.
Here’s my opinion.
You should have a big picture, long-term goal, and set mid-term goals that move you in that direction.
You should sacrifice just enough of the present in order to target a major life change every 3-5 years. And that change should be in the direction of your big picture goal.
That might mean planning for a career change, a promotion, a business venture, a geographical move, one or more new family members, etc. Create a plan that is made up of clear and measurable short-term goals that will inevitably lead to the achievement of that 3-5 year goal. Then stick to it!
But don’t go overboard. Don’t sacrifice everything to the future. Because the only thing we’re promised is the present moment.
Dr. Jordan Peterson teaches that progress toward a worthy goal creates a sense of meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction. So not only do you benefit when you achieve that goal, but you benefit in the present moment by the progression toward it.
Through the balance of present enjoyments as well as regular progressions toward a goal, you can discover that proper balance that brings satisfaction in the moment and transforms your life over time.