i have this terrible habit of constantly worrying about and thinking about the future. when i start doing something that i’ve been looking forward to, i immediately start thinking about the next thing that i’m excited for/stressed about. i’m not sure how this habit started, but i’m slowly trying to eradicate it (to an extent). it prevents me from enjoying moments that i’ve spent days, weeks, even months, looking forward to. and the time i spend stressing out about an upcoming event is completely unnecessary. everything works out, and i trust myself enough to handle those situations well once i’m in them.
why do i want to do this?
when i look back on fond memories, i often feel as though i didn’t let myself fully sink into the moment because i was thinking about the future. i want to be able to reminisce without feeling like i didn’t do myself justice and take the moments in.
through this reflection, i’ve realized that travel is really the number one situation that i find myself being fully present and not thinking about the future. i’m working on figuring out just exactly why those times were spent fully immersed in the moment.
what i love about traveling is that it forces you to be present. there is so much to see, to learn, so much to focus on, that it’s near impossible to think about anything other than the surroundings you find yourself in.
for me, travel has been overwhelming, scary, fulfilling, eye-opening, world-changing. it’s taught me so much about the world (OBVIOUSLY) and myself. it’s taught me about how i tend to react in stressful situations, and how i WANT to act in stressful situations. it’s taught me a sense of self-awareness that i never would have learned had i stayed in a small town in new england my whole life.
what am i doing to kick this habit, you ask (no one asked, maddie.)?
well, to start, recognizing that i have this habit needed to happen. journaling and yoga have also been extremely helpful! i’m trying to start a firm morning routine. starting each day with writing a page or two in my journal, then a quick 5-10 minute yoga flow. now…this is proving to be SO hard to actually stick to because as we all know, beds are somehow even more comfortable in the morning right when your alarm goes off.
i don’t want to get rid of this forward-thinking nature completely because it is a positive attribute some of the time – it’s good to have plans, goals, and work toward things. however, when it becomes a distraction to living your life and prevents you from enjoying things you’ve worked toward, that’s when it should be put in check.
OKAY WOW! while i was just sitting here writing this post, i got a notification from the app headspace (a meditation app that is also helping me live in the moment!):
i’ve been trying to intentionally practice being in the moment – training myself, really – and i had this realization about travel and how it has shaped me. it just makes me want to experience new places even more.
mad meandering 