Should We Live in the Moment or Think About the Future?

I’m currently reading a book called Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.

The average human lifespan is just 4,000 weeks, and the premise of this book is that the most “productive” way of living is simply to accept that we will never be able to do all the things we think we should or want to do because our time on earth is finite.

As the author reiterates throughout the book, that may sound pretty depressing at first thought…but as you chew on it, it actually becomes liberating! Because it helps us reframe all this rushing and frenetic speed at which we try and accomplish ALL THE THINGS. Instead, by getting comfortable with the fact that we can’t possibly “fit it all in,” then we can take a deep breath and just do what we can.

But this isn’t a book review.

Instead, I want to share this conflicted take I have on one of the many thought-provoking points Mr. Burkeman makes inside this book, which is that in order to truly live in the present and therefore enjoy our lives for what they are instead of what we’re hoping they’ll be in the future, we need to do more things that have no “purpose” or goal outside of exactly what they are in this very moment.

A few examples I can think of:

• Petting my dog. There is no “end” or accomplishment of this task. I just REALLY LIKE to do it.

• Nature walks. Whether on the beach or on a trail – unless you’re trying to accomplish a particular summit – there’s really no purpose to the experience other than to just experience it.

• Looking for shapes in the clouds. Call me a weirdo, but I am obsessed with doing this. I’ve gotten my kids in on the action, too, and we’ve found some truly amazing cloud sculptures. My favorite might be Baby Yoda.

[I just spent FAR too long scrolling pics in my phone trying to find a picture of it, but no luck. You’ll just have to trust me that the cloud looked JUST like Baby Yoda.]

While these experiences of being fully immersed in the present without a single thought of what’s to come next are most definitely enjoyable, I do think there’s an excitement for living that pairs with our innate tendency to think about the future.

Oliver Burkeman acknowledges this in his book, too. I love this quote: 

“…it becomes possible to develop an appreciation for that fact that life just is a process of engaging with problem after problem, giving each one the time it requires – that the presence of problems in your life, in other words, isn’t an impediment to a meaningful existence but the very substance of one.”

This makes sense to me. Nothing we do is meaningful or satisfying if it doesn’t solve a “problem.” We enjoy food because we’re hungry. We call our friends because we miss them. We invent a lightbulb because we want to see at night. (Well “we” didn’t do that…but you know what I mean.)

This truth that thinking about the future (a future in which you’re not hungry, where you feel connected to your friends, or where you can see at night) is what makes life meaningful is at odds with the message that the only way to truly enjoy life is to find activities that force us into a present-only mindset. 

(By the way, I’m aware that there are FAR more meaningful pursuits than eating a snack or chit chatting on the phone.)

What I’m TRYING to say is that I think there needs to be a balance. And isn’t that true with just about everything?

We must strike the balance of thinking about the future – be it the one here on earth or the one you believe in for eternity – while also realizing that we have exactly zero guarantees about said future (on earth)…so find ways to engage with life exactly where you are.

So far, that’s the message in this book that stands out to me. This quote sums it up:

“…a life spent ‘not minding what happens’ is one lived without the inner demand to know that the future will conform to your desires for it–and thus without having to be constantly on edge as you wait to discover whether or not things will unfold as expected.”

To me, this is exactly what I talk about when defining contentment. We can be ambitious and dream big, AND be at peace right now– not waiting for our lives to look a certain way before we can enjoy it.

Anyway, thanks for coming to Shannon’s Philosophy Class today. I hope you pet all the soft puppies and find dinosaurs in the clouds, while also contributing meaningfully to the communities and lives of people you love…including your own!