To think you can worry too much about the future?

[Garlibread]

I’m a forward planner by nature. I wonder how our finances will look next year. How we will afford to upsize. Whether I’ll still be in the same job in ten years. It never occurred to me until recently that actually lots of people are just winging it and playing things by ear… at first, that sounded stressful to me, but all of those people seem a LOT happier and less frazzled.

I am spending more time in the future worrying about decisions that will be made in years to come than in the present and failing to concentrate on ‘now’. I wish I could take things day by day more. Is anyone else like me? How did you stop it?

Yes, I have awful fears about the future. I think a lot (too much!) about all the war kicking off everywhere and I worry about my children and the future they will have. I have horrible intrusive thoughts about world war and I wish I could live more in the present. But I think we're wired to look out for danger aren't we so we're victims of our own biology a bit

I feel like direction in life is important, so I feel more comfortable if I have a plan and know roughly where I'm aiming to get to.

I like to have a map with an X on a rough spot I'm aiming for.

But I don't think it's helpful to draw out a wiggly route in a huge amount of detail. You will end up getting tangled up in all sorts before the thing you're planning/ worrying about even happens - and it might never even happen - you might find a road block and have to take a different path entirely.

I think it's healthy to have a balance between a certain amount of future planning and ensuring that you are enjoying the present - because at the end of the day, none of us know quite when it's going to end!

Yes, my dad spent all his life working hard, saving for retirement, not taking the holidays just yet etc. He died before he could do any of that

Yep, I’m trying to live more in the present. I’m 47 and for the last year I’ve had this horrible sense a lot that life is speeding by. I’ve got plans to move when my youngest leaves school and I keep thinking about that, but I made a resolution to enjoy the day more. Who knows what will happen in 2.5yrs time.

Yes, but I won't let that stop me.

Thanks for the earworm buttery 😁

I'm an Olympic athlete at worrying about the future, ever since I was a child.

It's exhausting and I wish I knew how to just live for today and enjoy what I have.

God laughs at plans.

Prepare for what you can and then enjoy today. Worrying is pointless and not the same thing as being prepared. My DM was a planner and when she died she left everything neat for us plus a good financial legacy due to her planning skills. She never worried about anything. It's such a waste of energy. Direct your desire to plan into achievable, fruitful actions. Then relax and know you did the best you could.