Week 21: Share something you've learned in the last year

I can't say that I've successfully learned this, but it's something I'm working on, and that's taking care of "future me."

I'm generally a pretty present person. My life's mantra is "be present," and I take it seriously. But I've learned that there is a future me that should be considered as well.

No, our future is not guaranteed. Living for the "now" can be fruitful and satisfying. "Be present," for me, means making sure I'm here for those around me and saying "yes" when it is important to do so, no matter how I feel. But, as is true for everything, I've learned that there needs to be some balance.

"Present me" cannot say "yes" to everything because there are occasions where that "yes" is destructive to "future me." For example, "present me" might want to take a long lunch break, causing "future me" to work late.

I've learned to consider "future me" in my small decisions. It's doing laundry on a work-from-home day so that I don't have to do laundry over the weekend. It's washing dishes while I cook to avoid doing many dishes after I eat. It's calling a loved one the second I think about them because otherwise, it could be days before I hear from them.

The lesson isn't about savings accounts and big plans. The lesson was for me to give myself time back. So what I've learned is to be present for the sake of my future.

"Be present' became my mantra after my employer lost a major client. I saw my team dwindle, and as each person packed up their desk, I would tell myself and my anxiety "be present." While this approach to work helped me, in the long run, it started to hurt me. Being present set me up so that others could take advantage of my loyalty.

Enter: Future Me. In the past year, I've seen how essential it is to consider myself in the equation. This required me to look ahead at the impacts my choices would have on both short-term and long-term "future me."

Generally speaking, these days I'm more protective of my time. Maybe having the ability to do so is a perk of getting older, but I care less now about impressing people and more about making sure there's a balance in my relationships. Thinking about "future me" has helped tremendously.