Why We Should Stop Living in the World of Someday

Because the present is where we work our magic

Are you wasting your life waiting for permission to follow your dreams? Here’s a secret: You don’t need permission from anyone but yourself.

There’s a price to pay if you put off following your dreams. Studies show that procrastination causes a lowered sense of well-being, depression, fatigue, anxiety, and stress in your life. And the last thing we all need is more stress.

Some of us wasted a lot of years in life living in the future. I call it the world of someday.

“Someday I’m going to write that novel.”

“Someday I’m going to buy a house.”

“Someday I’m going to work in a job I love.”

“Someday I’m going to visit Paris.”

“Someday I’m going to retire and do exactly what I want.”

What happens when we keep saying “Someday”

And what do we do in the meantime? We work at jobs we dislike. We live in a place because we’ve always lived there. And we stay in toxic relationships because deep down we don’t feel we deserve anything better.

Some of us live in the past, filled with regrets. Others live in the future world of someday. Nothing ever gets done in the present. Because there’s a huge difference between living in the future and planning for the future.

The world of someday is a life-sucking place. We can spend years living there, trapped in our rut.

Meanwhile, life is going by faster than we could ever imagine. You’re 28, and then you blink your eyes, and you’re 45, and before long you are facing your retirement wondering what the hell happened.

What happened to that book you were going to write someday?

You didn’t. You were too busy raising children, taking care of parents, and running around to mindless activities with your friends.

Meanwhile, your dream became tired of waiting for you and lay there collecting dust.

I waited too long

Don’t be like me. I waited until I was well into middle age to start writing for publication. I then waited until I was even older to pursue my music career.

I wasted years. Maybe it was a lack of confidence. Maybe it was too much of listening to people who said I should go after a practical career. Self-doubt hounded me. I kept asking people if my work was good enough to put out there.

Maybe you’re the same way. Don’t be like me. Stop waiting for permission to pursue all the things you’re putting off for the world of someday.

Because it goes faster than you could ever imagine.

Why the present is so much better

Every little step you take in the present is creating your future. Start making a list of all the things you want to do in the world someday and bring them to the present.

You can squeeze in an hour a day to make that happen. If you write an hour a day, you’ve spent 7 hours a week writing. That’s better than zero.

I like making a daily list of all the things I want to do. If I complete one item a day on that list that pushes me closer to my dream, then it is a success.

You will be amazed at all the wonderful things you can accomplish when you stop putting things off.

I recently hesitated to join a music organization because the annual dues were pricey. The sensible part of me kept saying I couldn’t afford it. Or maybe it was fear.

But my heart told me to act now. So I joined and entered a song challenge.

I didn’t think I’d win. The competition was fierce. I didn’t think I had a chance.

Yet I remember that quote by hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretsky.

“You miss 100% of shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Grestsky

That convinced me. I entered my song.

I was shocked when I made it to the next round. This one small move that I made in the present is now steering my life towards my songwriting dreams.

Why you’re not taking action

Living in the present often causes anxiety. We’re worried about so many possible scenarios. Often we focus on a better future because it helps ease our anxiety.

Yet if we take the steps to plan our future now, and take action, that could make us feel better in the long run. Because action helps us work towards what we want.

It’s your time to shine

Don’t wait until you are too old or ill to enjoy your life. Start making lists and planning for the future now. Take action in the present.

You only have one life to live, and your power happens in the present moment. Because the present is where we work our magic. The present is where we bring our dreams to fruition.

Let’s all leave the world of someday forever in the dust.