Make it Happen Monday: Today vs Tomorrow Challenge
Do you ever struggle between the idea of “living each day like it’s your last” and “preparing for your future”? I know I definitely do, and it can sometimes make life…interesting, to say the least.
I’m a firm believer in living out your dreams, today, and not putting things off until tomorrow. But on the other hand, I’m an organized planner and seem to be in a constant battle with that other side of me. So how do you do it? How do you balance things so that you’re able to get the necessary things for your future in place, while living like today is all you have? No really….I want to know. This is a Make it Happen Monday post looking for answers, and not one about telling you how to do it.
I’m looking forward to seeing the wisdom that you all spread in the comments section today, and here are some answers from a dude named Craig Jarrow. I came across Craig while writing this post, and he’s got 8 great ways to live as if today were your last….and I think they fit nicely into the Today vs Tomorrow balance:
- Tell People What You Really Think – Life is too short for lies, half-truths, and beating around the bush. Tell the truth. To others. To loved ones. And especially to yourself.
- Give 100% – Every day counts, and it is up to you to make it so. Don’t give it half of your effort. Always give 100%. Always do your best. And always be proud that you have given it your all.
- Do Something That You Believe In – If you only had one day, would you be doing what you are doing today? Make sure you believe in the activities you do. Does your work matter to you?
- Tell Those That You Care About… That You Care About Them – Don’t miss an opportunity to tell others what they mean to you. Tell your loved ones everyday how much they matter. Tell others that you care about them. And by all means, express your inner feelings to that person that you are too shy to approach.
- Do What’s Important – It is easy to get bogged down in the minutiae of our fast-paced world. Take a minute to stop and ensure that you are not just busy, but that you are doing what is most important.
- Do that Thing You Have Been Meaning To Do – We all have limited time. The catch is that you don’t know how much you have. Don’t delay your passions and dreams. Some people put off things for their entire lives, until it is too late.
- Have a Life – You do have time. Spend it wisely. Go on that date. Spend time with the kids. Get out there and do something!
- Enjoy Today! – It doesn’t matter whether it is raining or it just got off to a bad start. Never give up the chance to enjoy today. A bad day today always beats tomorrow, especially if there is no tomorrow.
I think the late, great Steve Jobs had this Today vs Tomorrow challenge nicely under control. He left behind a whole mess of great quotes, but here’s one on today’s topic to send you off so you can go kick this week’s butt:
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?”
Whenever the answer has been “no” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
– Steve Jobs
One things for sure….TODAY is a great day to be on a bike.
Excellent post.
One thing I have noticed about certain sites is that, even though they have tons of content, the site looks great and the headlines are eye catching is that the material is simply filler. It’s downright unreadable. You can forget it 6 seconds after you read it. Not the case with your post though, really enjoyed it reading it and it held my attention all the way through!
Treat others as you want to be treated~ Something you’re already good at
Don’t sweat the small stuff, its really not important~ something I work on everyday
Be happy in all circumstances, nobody likes a whiner~
Taking the focus off yourself and focusing on others.
These are all things I work on everyday. I learned the hard way that life is too short to worry about tomorrrow.
Beautiful advice, Julie. I can see that I have a long way to go, but being connected to and surrounded by people like you sure is a great impact on me moving in the right direction. Thanks.
I have a long way to go too. Life is a journey and we never really will reach the destination until we die. At least we can try hard to be better while we live!
Treat others as you want to be treated~ Something you’re already good at
Don’t sweat the small stuff, its really not important~ something I work on everyday
Be happy in all circumstances, nobody likes a whiner~
Taking the focus off yourself and focusing on others.
These are all things I work on everyday. I learned the hard way that life is too short to worry about tomorrrow.
Treat others as you want to be treated~ Something you’re already good at
Don’t sweat the small stuff, its really not important~ something I work on everyday
Be happy in all circumstances, nobody likes a whiner~
Taking the focus off yourself and focusing on others.
These are all things I work on everyday. I learned the hard way that life is too short to worry about tomorrrow.
Treat others as you want to be treated~ Something you’re already good at
Don’t sweat the small stuff, its really not important~ something I work on everyday
Be happy in all circumstances, nobody likes a whiner~
Taking the focus off yourself and focusing on others.
These are all things I work on everyday. I learned the hard way that life is too short to worry about tomorrrow.
First of all I love this post. 1, 2 and 4 really resonate with me, so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the day and forget about the basics, the important things…… Be a good person, and be good to those that care about you. Truly good, not like go-to-church-on-Sunday-good, but like good-from-inside-where-it-counts, good.
I think that some times we spend to much time worrying about whether or not what we are doing is right, and that if by doing it we are missing out on the right thing,,,, instead of just allowing what we are doing to BE right. Does that make sense? Maybe I would be happier if I did XYZ instead of what I am doing, well, maybe I would and maybe I wouldn’t, who knows? But unless you are really sure that you don’t like what you are doing, maybe where you should be putting your energy in, is into being really happy, and really good at WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
This topic makes me think about my oldest son, who I love and am so proud. He is an incredible guy, in his late 20’s, and capable of being great at pretty much anything. The problem is he is not quite sure what that “anything” is that he wants to do. To such a degree that he is paralyzed. He is so worried about choosing the wrong path and thereby “wasting his life” that he is wasting his life not choosing a path. (now that is a bit of an exaggeration but I do it to make a point. If you learn ONE thing as you get older, its that life is pretty damn short. Choose something, LOVE IT, be great at it, be a GOOD person, be good to those around you, your spouse first and it outward circles from there.
I have a job that most people don’t dream of when growing up, and I am sure it would be pretty cool to be a rock star, or a professional surfer, a football coach, or a teacher , (or Lance). But I am not going to be, so I will instead be good at what I do, and I am happy with that.
Life really is good
Oh man, I sound a little like your Son. Thanks for your amazing comment, Eric and your words totally were what I was needing right now. I mean that. What a great response to this question and I can see that I really need you to write another guest post soon.
I know that whatever you chose, you will do it with passion and love for life. You guys are on a great adventure, your kids are lucky, they will have incredible experiences and you will continue to have a cool life.
I’m going to break pack here, this question blows my mind, “How do you balance things so that you’re able to get the necessary things for your future in place?” I want to focus on the second part of this question, “the necessary things for your future in place”…How do we know what we need for the future? It’s yet to be determined…All we can really do to prepare ourselves for the future is know how to survive. Now, depending on the environment, survival presents itself differently, but its still providing for our basic needs (food, water, shelter and love)….It just seems society has become so complex and its view of basic needs have become so distorted it’s actually undermining our ability to dream. I think balance is found in believing our dreams can come true, but understanding sacrifice is needed to make that happen.
Happy Riding my friends…..
Great answer, my man. Thanks for laying that down and helping me formulate an answer to this question. Keep one spreading that goodness that is flowing.
I retired at 62 almost two years ago now. I started riding a bike again shortly after and have since lost 35 lbs and in better shape than I’ve been in 20 years. The bike has made all the difference. I truly am Lovin’ the Bike. These days are mostly in the moment and they usually start with a bike ride. The past two years have been the best so far. Preparing for the future means crossing something else off the bucket list. Love this site. Keep up the good work.
Dang man, I can’t wait to retire. Well, officially retire anyway. It’s great to see you out there Loving the Bike and knocking things off your bucket list. Now, that is living.
That’s a hard balance to make as you know.
This is something that I struggle with daily. I am an entrepreneur and outdoor enthusiast at my core and I’m stuck in a world of employees and fluorescent lighting. Doing something that I believe in doesn’t currently earn me a living and in fact it costs me money to teach others about it each month. “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?”For years in a row the answer was no, finally I decided that I was going to take charge of not only that day but also my future. I started studying website design, marketing techniques, and how to share my passion of mountain biking with others. That is the best decision I have ever made following right behind trusting in Christ Jesus and marrying my wife. It has opened doors that never would have existed and shown me that there is a light at the end of this tunnel.Have I got it all figured out? Hell no. But I do know that I’m finally moving in the right direction in order to live out my dreams and to do something that matters.
Hi Shawn,
What a great comment to this post. Thanks for laying it down, my man. We really need to talk one of these days. Let me know your number and what a good time to call you would be.
Have a great day.
Darryl
Sometimes people ask what I’m training for when I’m out on a ride. “Tomorrow” always seems like the best answer I can give them.
Yep, sometimes that’s the best answer to give. Thanks, Malachi.
Those 8 ways to live are great reminders on how to focus my day. Thanks for continue with the Monday posts and I wanted to let you know that I alwasy enjoy them.
Thanks Roger, I need these reminders more than anyone….but glad to hear you like our Make it Happen Monday series as well.
As it relates to travel….We are always planning for the next big trip but we also make time to enjoy smaller weekend trips throughout the year. They are almost always family bike/camp trips. I know some people can hunker down and save everything for that one experience but I need to be living in the moment and that means staying home is not an option! We do try and budget wisely for those small trips.
Thanks Jen, looks like living in the moment is the key to this question…thanks for sharing your comments. Sounds like you’ve got things all under control.
I think the key is to live in the moment, just like Bentley mentioned. By living in the moment you are allowing yourself to live for today, but at the same time you can also be prepared for the future. It’s my philosphy and it seems to be working well.
More great advice, Angela. Living in the moment definitely seems like the right approach.
The list of ideas you put down look like a good start. I’ve had the same struggle over the years where I live for today in my mind, but then find myself making a lot of plans for the future and not living in the moment. Good post by the way.
Thanks Bentley, great advice and thanks for sharing it.
The list of ideas you put down look like a good start. I’ve had the same struggle over the years where I live for today in my mind, but then find myself making a lot of plans for the future and not living in the moment. Good post by the way.