Living for the Future, But What About the Present?

Everyone who knows me knows I’m a big dreamer. I’ve always been someone who makes vision boards and maps out my future with five- to ten-year plans. I love imagining what’s next, setting goals, and working toward them with intention. Sometimes, I even sit with my eyes closed and let the feelings just wash over me of what it will be like when I finally “arrive” into my future. And right now, that future feels so close I can almost touch it.

I’ve signed the lease on an adorable, new house in Austin. I’ve signed the contract for my first job as a physical therapist at an outpatient clinic located near Barton Creek. After years of hard work, sacrifice, and study, the life I’ve been dreaming about is waiting for me just beyond the horizon. But here’s the catch: I’m not there yet.

I’m still in the final stretch of my Doctor of Physical Therapy program. I have one last clinical rotation to complete, graduation to walk through, and the boards to pass. These are not small tasks – they’re the final, critical steps. And yet, I find myself mentally skipping ahead, fantasizing about decorating my new home, starting my new job, and finally settling into a life I’ve worked so hard to build.

This tendency to leap ahead isn’t new. I’ve always been a procrastinator when it comes to the tasks of now that feel tedious or unrewarding. If it’s not exciting or immediately fulfilling, I’ll find a hundred other things to do instead. Studying for boards? I’ll reorganize my closet. Finishing paperwork for my rotation? Suddenly, I need to deep-clean the kitchen.

But this time, the stakes are higher. I can’t afford to lose focus. But staying present in the moment, when the future feels so close, is one of the hardest things I’ve had to learn.

Yoga has been my anchor through this. Not just the physical practice, but the philosophy behind it. Yoga teaches us to be present, to breathe into discomfort, and to find stillness in transition. It’s easy to live your yoga when life is calm. It’s much harder when you’re on the edge of something big, and your mind is racing ahead.

I’ve been trying to live my yoga in this season. When I feel overwhelmed or impatient, I roll out my mat or take a seat on my meditation cushion, even if it’s just for ten minutes. I breathe. I center. I remind myself that this moment matters, too. That the final steps are just as sacred as the first ones.

There’s also a deep vulnerability in this transition. I’m leaving behind the familiar rhythms of student life and stepping into a new identity. I’m moving to a new city, starting a new job, and building a new community. It’s exciting, yes! But also, scary. Again, another opportunity to live my yoga arises. Be present and sit with these feelings, validating myself and where I am in the moment, rather than using online shopping for housing items distract me from my reality. It's a practice, something I return to time and time again. Without judgment, it is always there for me.

Right now, I’m learning to honor this in-between space. To celebrate how far I’ve come, while staying grounded in the work that’s still ahead. The finish line is near, but the journey isn’t over. And I want to be present for every step of it.