Make goal to be present in the moment

I am the kind of person who romanticizes the next thing.

When it’s summer, I look forward to fall. When it’s fall, I can’t wait for Christmas. After Christmas, I’m dreaming of spring, and once spring rolls around, I’m already planning out summer. It’s a never-ending loop.

I’m always looking forward to something, and this summer has been no different. It’s felt long, quiet and, honestly, a little too still at times. Now, I find myself counting down the days until I can go back to school.

And while there’s nothing wrong with being excited about what’s next, I’ve started to realize how often I let that anticipation keep me from fully living in the moment I’m in. There’s something a little sad about that. If we spend all our time looking forward, we miss what’s right in front of us.

Life moves fast. Sometimes it’s so full and overwhelming that we crave slowness. We daydream about time off — rest, quiet, space to breathe.

We tell ourselves, “Once I get a break, I’ll read more, go outside more, spend more time with family.” But then the break comes, and at first, it’s peaceful. Then slowly, that quiet becomes boring, even frustrating. Suddenly, we’re longing for structure again, for something to fill the empty space. It’s funny how we’re always chasing the opposite of what we have.

This cycle doesn’t just happen in a summer break or over a school semester — it happens all throughout life. We rush through childhood, eager to grow up. We hurry through high school, desperate for freedom. Then in college, we miss the simplicity of home. And years down the road, we’ll probably miss the season we’re in right now, too.

It’s not wrong to be hopeful or excited about what’s ahead. That’s part of being human. But I think it’s important to also be grounded — to find contentment in the now. The truth is, we don’t get this exact moment back. This version of ourselves, these people we see every day, these conversations, even the boring stretches of time — they’re all temporary.

So maybe the answer isn’t to stop looking forward to things, but to also look around more often. To be present. To say, “Yes, I’m excited for what’s next, but I’m going to show up for today, too.” Because years from now, today might be one of the days we wish we could live again.