I have often spoken about how life is so much richer when you train yourself to give full attention to the present moment. At the same time, I am also a big proponent of having a vision for the future and an action plan to get there. I don't think these philosophies are contradictory. Often, the best way to get full value from today is to invest time and energy in mapping the path to a better tomorrow.
After all, as I wrote about recently, you are creating your future today, so it makes sense to use the present moment wisely to create the best future you can.
It does not make sense to worry. When you do that, you just rob yourself of the fullness of the moment. As a wise person once said, "Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due." Worry also has a spiraling effect: the more you worry, the more stressed you become, and the more stressed you become the more you feel anxious and worried. It becomes a self-perpetuating lens for looking at the world.
There are really only two ways to deal with something that is weighing on your mind. Either recognize it as a symptom of something that needs to be addressed and take immediate action toward a resolution, or recognize it as something you cannot affect, and let it go.
We all understand the fruitlessness of worry when we stop to think about, but maybe the issue is we don't stop to think about it very often. That's why I recommend a simple exercise: Write a list of every recurring worry you have – all the things that nag at you, all the negative thoughts that keep cycling through your mind. Then beside each one, write down what you can do right now to take steps toward alleviating that worry. There you have it – an action plan and a "to-be-disposed of" list all in one.
I think this is a particularly useful exercise to go through as we head into the holidays this week, because it is very hard to celebrate with a feeling of true gratitude and abundance if your mind is preoccupied with what is going to happen next week or next year.
So do the exercise. Decide what you are going to do about the things that bother you, and what you are going to banish from your thoughts. You will be giving yourself a tremendous gift of a clear, contented mind that is ready to fully appreciate the bountiful joys of the season.