Whether we’re talking about our financial situation or our lives in general, it’s easy to get caught up planning for the future or living in the past at the expense of the only thing that’s promised to any of us – this present moment in time.

Let’s use spring break as an example.

A spring break trip is something we especially look forward to in the cold winter months. Its arrival means that the end of our long winter is near. We might also like to reminisce on previous spring break trips by looking back through old photos.

Make no mistake – looking back on the past and planning for the future are both essential and necessary exercises to living a good life. But if we’re not careful, this constant looking back and looking forward approach can prevent us from enjoying the present.

For example, when we’re on our actual spring break trip…

Are we worried about what’s waiting for us at work when we return and dying to check our email on our phone? Or are we actually present and enjoying the beach day with our family?

Are we worried that we haven’t gotten the perfect family photo yet? Or are we enjoying playing mini-golf and getting ice cream with our kids? Won’t that create a lifelong memory better than any highly staged photo ever could?

As human beings, it’s natural to use information from our past to plan for a better future and, to be clear, I’m not suggesting we stop doing so. Rather, we simply need to remind ourselves to be more present – precisely because it’s so easy to default to thinking about the past or future when we don’t.

This same logic holds true for our finances. So often, we let our guilt about a past financial decision or our concerns about an unknowable financial future prevent us from living our best life in the present. So what’s the solution? There’s no magic bullet, but building out your own flexible framework is a good place to start. 

When we do, it becomes easier for us to recognize and let go of the things outside of our control – like what’s happened in the past and what will happen in the future – and focus instead on the only thing we can control: this present moment and the actions we take.

So whenever you find yourself worried about something in the past that you can’t change or something that could happen in the future, remember that the best way forward always starts with coming back to the present. And we might as well enjoy it, right?