As rising young professionals, many of us are driven by goals. We have carefully curated LinkedIn profiles and spend summers working in strategic internships. We build our resumes in a manner that we hope will land us that dream job. We are future-minded, forward-thinking and obsessed with our careers.  

I don’t think goals are bad. They are a necessary part of accountability. They have the capacity to propel us forward in directions that align with our passions. I do believe, however, that goal setting is different from obsessively worrying about what lies ahead.  

Earlier this week, I was running a few minutes late to a yoga class. I scrambled through my room, gathering what I needed, filled up my water halfway and jumped into my car. I sat upright the whole way there. No music played. My heart was speeding up. It wasn’t until I was sitting on my mat in the heated room that it crossed my mind: how much time did that really save me? I would argue that hurrying does not save much time at all, and certainly not enough time to outweigh the stress that it manifests. 

I believe this concept translates directly to the broader picture of being over-conscious of the future. We are constantly thinking of all the things we need to do and the people we need to be in order to go down a certain path. It becomes so overwhelming that we neglect what is happening right in front of us. Being future-minded blinds us to the present. 

When I was rushing to yoga, I didn’t even turn on music; I missed out on the opportunity to play one of my favorite songs. I barely noticed the sunset. I was worried about something immaterial to the bigger picture.  

A new goal of mine is to be intentional about where I am. I want to be fully present in all moments. I care about my future, of course, but I never want it to get to the point of distracting me from the little joys I encounter each day. I know it is cliché, but I truly do want to be where my feet are.  

This week, I challenge you to consider slowing down. There is no need to hurry. It is when we slow things down that we are able to fully take in what is around us. Hurrying doesn’t save a whole lot of time and obsessing over what’s to come prohibits us from enjoying our present, hard-earned circumstances.