3 steps to “live in the now”

Recent life advice I’ve received is to “live in the now”. I was thinking about this expression, and how I don’t know exactly what it’s supposed to mean. I have NEVER had any trouble living in the now, the present has always been precisely where I’ve been existing. If I wasn’t living “in the now”, where would I be?

That’s always my issue with common tips about “mindfulness”, or “wellness”. They always seem so vague (to me) that I have no idea what to actually do with them. I’m the kind of person who likes things to be very structured and specific, so I’m writing these three steps for anyone else who may have that problem. What does it actually mean to be focused on the present?

Like I’ve said, technically I’m always “living in the now”, but I do find that my mind will commonly focus on things that happen in the future or the past. When does that assignment need to get done? It was really embarrassing when I did that thing. What is my career going to look like?

So I imagine that’s what it means to “live in the now”. To appreciate and pay attention to the present instead of worrying so much about other things. Obviously the future and the past are things to be aware of, but they shouldn’t take up all our time in pointless stress. I’ve found asking myself three questions helps me do that:

1. What things are you thinking about that aren’t happening right now?

2. What are you doing right now?

3. Are you fully appreciating the answer to the second question, or is your focus on the answer to the first question.

Applying this to right now, I’m thinking about all of the requirements and due dates I have. All the things I need to get done. The thing I’m doing is writing this blog. I’m not fully appreciating what I’m doing right now, because I’m really focused and stressed by the future. If I give my full attention to this blog, I’d start to appreciate it more fully and get more enjoyment out of it. That’s my take of what it is to “live in the now”.