14 Comments

  1. Amazing. Hit home with me on many fronts both personally and professionally. It’s an important lesson, a hard lesson, but understanding that lesson today is all that matters. Small steps lead to big outcomes! Cheers!

  2. Excellent reminder. The things I do today (read: fiddle with my spreadsheets), help motivate me toward that tomorrow. When I get all money-eyed (“I NEED it”), I just start looking at the possibilities of that money in the future. And I usually decide it’s not worth it.

  3. No big leap today. My main “today” effort is always making sure I don’t deprive us completely because I’m too busy planning for the future.

    Hence me sucking it up and paying $90 (so. many. fees.) for tickets to see a comedian we like when he came to town last weekend. But for the most part, my today is always about chilling out to spend less money because we need to plan for the future.

  4. Absolutely! I didn’t find this post discouraging, but actually the contrary – encouraging. We always find ways to set ‘limitations’ in our mind: we don’t have enough time, money, resources, energy, etc. But if we take ownership & start now, today, at this moment – it will compound for greater successes in the future. This is why I started a small achievement journal – accomplishments large & small! It could range from I got to spend more time with my niece this month, to ran a half-marathon and beat my previous personal record. It allows me to focus on the day it occurred – and also to look back in months, years, etc. from now & recognize how much I really did accomplish.

  5. Yes, yes, yes to this! I don’t find it discouraging either, and you know I love this post πŸ˜‰ It’s SO EASY to get caught up in the “When I have X” or “When I achieve Y” mindset, and while it’s one that I’m really good at avoiding in other areas of my life, I sometimes trip up on the money front. I mean, we do talk about it an awful lot as personal finance bloggers, haha, but still. It’s easy to get caught up in looking ahead or focusing on the past, and there’s a good reason I think more people should read this: it’s important!

    Thank you for a wonderful post!

  6. “If something succeeded, find the recipe and improve it.”

    I absolutely agree with you on this point. A big leap I’m taking is starting a small business with my friend that we are launching in the New Year! It’s exciting but I’m so happy to be testing myself and finding that recipe for success.

    Love this post πŸ™‚

  7. What a great post, thank you! I often encounter this catch-22. Life is short, should deprive myself to have a good future? I don’t want to look back in regret. So I guess, the key is balance. I strive to balance today’s needs with tomorrow’s.

    My baby step? I have decided to wake up early and be first one at work in the morning, and the first one to leave in the afternoon. This has saved me a lot of time as I’m avoiding the rush hour, I spend less on fuel and have more time to live πŸ™‚ Baby step that make huge ripples in my life.

    Cheers
    MrRicket

  8. Great post. I have been struggling with this for a long time. Most directly, not planning and not having a foundation to move forward from. I like the concept of having a spreadsheet not of numbers and figures, but ideas and dreams. You can plan all you want, but eventually you must be in action. And it starts today. I am well aware of the lessons I still have to learn. The baby step I am taking is presence and awareness of my failures. The great leap is that I will turn them into my greatest achievements.

  9. I used to be only focused on today. Not quite YOLO but I wouldn’t even book a flight 3 months out or buy an advance train ticket. Today’s happiness has always been the most important thing to me although I used to go about achieving it in the wrong way. My current struggle is staying happy today but also doing things to ensure that I’ll stay happy in the future. Your post is very relevant to this goal. Sure I was rubbish in the past but I can take a small step or a giant leap today that has greater impact on my future.

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