Deal With Now. Let the Future Do Its Thing (Day 5)

This is a reminder I need as much as anyone.

I spend a lot of time thinking about the future — where I want to go, who I want to become, what I need to do to get there. I enjoy planning and preparing. I like feeling like I’m making progress. But if I’m not careful, I can slip into a constant state of becoming — always thinking ahead, always one step removed from what’s actually happening right now.

And that’s when I start to feel disconnected. Like I’m living in a simulation of my life instead of being in it.

There’s a subtle but powerful difference between growing intentionally and constantly striving for some future self. One is grounded in presence, the other is fuelled by lack — the feeling that who I am right now isn’t quite enough yet.

The Mind’s Illusion of Control

The mind is tricky like that. It tries to keep us safe by imagining every possible scenario. It plans and prepares, not just for clarity, but for control. If we can predict the future, maybe we won’t get blindsided. Maybe we won’t make a mistake. But the irony is that this constant mental time travel doesn’t bring peace — it takes us out of the only place where peace is possible: the present.

Marcus Aurelius said it well: “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which arm you against the present.”

The tools we have for navigating life — reason, problem solving, rationalising — are always with us. But we forget that. We believe the mind’s stories that we’re not ready yet, that we need to keep planning just a bit longer.

I’ve noticed that whenever I feel anxious or restless, I’m usually not in the moment. I’m somewhere in the future, solving problems that haven’t happened yet. It’s not preparation, it’s rumination disguised as productivity.

When Thinking Takes You Out of the Moment

Anytime we engage in the mind’s future-focused thinking, we destroy the present. It doesn’t always feel dramatic — sometimes it’s subtle, almost automatic. But the effect is the same: we become disconnected from what’s real.

Here are some of the ways I catch myself slipping out of the moment:

• Thinking about something I’ve scheduled later today — even though I can’t influence it now.

• Thinking about where I want to be with my business, finances, or strength goals six months from now — even though I already have a plan in place.

• Thinking about how this video or post will be perceived — even though I have zero control over how people will react.

Notice that all of these begin with the same thing: thinking. We get lost in our minds, which is the only place the future can exist, and we miss the actual experience of our lives.

What I’ve found is that the more I can lean into the moment — just give myself fully to it — the more enjoyable life becomes. Less noise. More presence. And far more energy for the things that really matter.

A Moment of Clarity Under the Barbell

Yesterday I caught myself doing this in the gym. I was about to do my heaviest bench press set of the day, and I noticed my mind already running through the rest of the workout. I was questioning the order of exercises I’d planned, second-guessing whether the new program I’d started was the right one. And then it hit me — this isn’t the time for any of that.

This moment, right here, required my full presence. The bar was loaded. My body needed to be focused. I took a breath, shook off the noise, and gave myself fully to the set. It felt good to be back. It was a small moment, but one that reminded me how quickly we can shift back to presence when we notice we’ve left it.

And that’s really the key — not never drifting, but learning to notice and return. Moment by moment.

A New Operating System

I’ve learned that presence doesn’t mean you stop caring about the future. It means you stop trying to control it. You let go of the need to plan every step, and instead trust yourself to respond when the moment comes.

For me, the mindset I keep coming back to is simple: Whatever happens, I can handle it.

That belief changes everything. It brings me back into my body, back into the moment. It cuts through doubt and hesitation. I think about the past — taking a one-way flight to Thailand to pursue poker, stepping into my first powerlifting meet, posting videos when I didn’t feel ready. I was scared every time. And I handled it every time.

The truth is, you’ve handled everything you’ve faced so far. That’s not a motivational cliché — it’s just true. And if you let that truth in, you start living from a deeper place of trust rather than fear.

The Only Thing You Ever Have to Do

The future will always be uncertain. Probably more so than ever. AI is accelerating change, economies are shifting, and entire industries may be reinvented in the coming years. But that doesn’t change your actual responsibility — which is always the same: to meet the next moment with presence.

Carl Jung once said that our job is simply to do, “the next most necessary thing.” as best we can. That’s it. Not the perfect thing. Not the clever plan. Just the next right step. The other steps will become apparent later, but right now there's a moment in front of you that needs your full engagement.

So that’s where I’ll leave this reflection: the future can do its thing.

My job is here, in this moment.