How do you live your life?

[brahman]

I am often hit with the question of why work so hard to achieve goals, why not just live it to the fullest everyday and not worry about the future? The answer I get back is always the same, because I did that before, and after I was done I felt like I was missing out in the biggest part of my life. I had goals I threw away and I feel as if I threw away a good part of my life. So I live as if I will live for a very long time, with big goals, very hard goals, spend hours every day on these goals. And I don't feel as if I am missing out on much, just wish time would move faster. I'm sure here soon I will wish it would move so much slower, and it will do nothing but move at light speed.

 

 

So how do you live your life?

[waveseer]

I try to find a happy medium between going for the brass ring and sitting on the dock of the bay.

[teabee]

I don't find myself "working" or worrying all that much. I work of course, but it doesn't feel like hard effort because I enjoy the goals and the process. School comes naturally to me and I feel on track with that (no worrying needed there, just doing my best day-by-day), my financial goals are fulfilling themselves, also without much worrying on my part, and my road is just kind of unravelling before me without me needing to control anything. I do have big, big goals, but it all flows naturally if I let it. I can relax, enjoy life, AND fulfill my goals. For me, planning and aiming for goals in the future does-not-equal worrying about the future.

[temjin132]

I agree, I think it's all about balance. I've gone back and forth a lot myself. For instance, I've spent weeks (and weekends) consumed with the thought of work. I'd try and learn more so I could do better on my projects, advance my career, etc.

 

But I think everyone has an internal clock that tells them when enough is enough. Burnout is very real, and you have to know when to take a step back. I also believe in subconscious learning. Sometimes I get better results when I scale back, or even take weeks off completely where I focus on other things. I think the key though is to make incremental progress towards that long-term goal. You'll eventually get there. Just remember to leave time for fun in the process.

[dragon lady]

As a child and teen I was all about enjoying life and living for the moment. I never let anything get to me. Then I decided to go to college and it was like a switch was flicked inside of me. I put 100% of my effort into studying and I didn't have much in the way of fun. All of a sudden I became extremely neurotic and I could no longer enjoy myself. It was the most emotionally taxing thing I've ever experienced and it had a huge lasting impact on my health and on my relationships. I was worrying about everything constantly. It was a nightmare.

 

Now that I've finished studying, I work just under 30 hours each week and I don't have to think about anything when I come home each night. I'm slowly regaining my capacity to handle stress and I am having some fun in my life. I'm aiming for a more worry-free existence, though I understand it will take time to get back to that point. Some day I hope to master the art of zen.

[Thx]

I guess my view has changed over the years...

 

At one time I bought into the status quo: set goals, work hard, make your way in the rat race and then when you are about 70 you can kick back, get out of the rat race and retire with all your toys and your McMansion.

 

I wanted to make $5 million by the time I was 30, that sounded like a goal to shoot for.

 

But, slowly I began to think about this and compare it to the real life experiences I have observed.

 

"Work until you are too old to enjoy yourself" is the way it seemed to me.

 

How many people did I know who got in on the great American dream only to end up alone with no one to pass down the fruits of their efforts?

 

I had a nice house, two cars, all sorts of electronic gadgets, for a young man I had it made.

 

Yet, I was pretty much alone in the romance dept. and so many of my "friends" just wanted to use me for my money, house, whatever they could get. The house and other things became a curse friendship-wise.

 

So now I am FREE!

 

I have no lofty goals hanging over my head, I make no effort to win friends or cultivate a romance.

 

I have removed myself from the rat-race as far as possible. I work at home and won't even watch commercial television and am watching even the news less and less.

 

No longer is life one long disappointment, I decide to retire early.

 

I could go on and on about this, lol.

 

edit: A note. The people of Denmark are the happiest in the world. Perhaps because they don't have great expectations, so they are not so let down by failure, and super jazzed by successes.

 

Thx

[karvala]

Life is like a game of German Whist. Some of the time needs to be spent ensuring that the future will be good, and some of the time needs to be spent enjoying the present. If you adopt either strategy exclusively, you'll lose.

[Hermes]

The trick is to live IN the present (not"for" the present). Attention on the present, intention on the future. No one can foretell the future, and it is amazing how people think they can.

 

H

[Sparkly Eyes]

I guess my username says it all! I'm sometimes extremely worried (and pessimistic) about how my future will turn out and it's even gotten to the point where I think about suicide regularly. It has also reduced my productivity in everyday life. I hope that it's just a phase.

[meteorstrike]

video games and masturbation

[Shortpants]

^^ LOL Now that's a life choice right there!

 

Personally I am a more "live for today" person. Yes, I have hopes and dreams and visions of the future, but I focus moreso on living every day as if it were my last. I make time to stop and smell the roses, appreciate the beauty of nature around me, and cherish every single moment with my wonderful husband and gorgeous daughter. Time passes way too fast and I want to savor every moment as it happens.

[Jetta]

I have goals, but my problem is I have too many goals and although most are attainable some aren't.

 

For example:

Get my degree (1 year left)

Get a job

Buy a house

Get married

Get a dog

Possibly have a baby but that's super iffy

Start my own business

 

My dream is to be a famous singer but there needs to be changes in my appearance for that to happen and really I haven't focused enough energy on it to make it happen in some form. After college I've thought about starting my own band, once I have a stable job and a house. It all falls on me having a stable job first, and then branching out from there and right now I'm working on what I need to do to obtain that stable job. Educate myself.

[brahman]

My dream is to be a famous singer but there needs to be changes in my appearance for that to happen and really I haven't focused enough energy on it to make it happen in some form. After college I've thought about starting my own band, once I have a stable job and a house. It all falls on me having a stable job first, and then branching out from there and right now I'm working on what I need to do to obtain that stable job. Educate myself.

 

 

I recommend doing what I am doing, which is try to accomplish your Major Goal in your part time. Like dedicate a small amount of time every week to singing/writing or appearance, whatever that sort of thing takes(not my area). It has been my experience that if you are not participating at least a tiny amount of time every week on your goal, then that goal will just slip away. The tiniest effort keeps it alive, and you will probably get better in the mean time.