The power of now

Posted on by The Gryphon Web Editor

Megan talks about the importance of  ‘now’ and how making the most of the present can unlock potential and opportunities. 

“I’ll do it later”, “I’m busy doing something else”, or “I’m too tired”: a small selection of excuses we are all guilty of when it comes to putting off doing something, or generally just not living in the moment.

You’d be surprised by the amount of time we waste on things like pining over a past memory, planning the future, or developing the idea that we will create a specific memory at a certain point.

Why schedule something, though, when you could be doing it now? Now – three little letters, too often overlooked, are the key to life.

Yes, it is nice to plan things for the future. Having something to look forward to is a good feeling. But if all we have is things in the future, we will spend the present twiddling our thumbs, letting time slip away. In the end, we don’t know what the future will bring anyway; even more reason to focus on the present.

Sometimes we might have to do work or chores that we really don’t want to do. In those instances, we’ll often put our responsibilities off, choosing to go out with friends.

At first, this may seem like a better way to spend your present, but the reality is that whatever task you are putting off will not disappear. It will get to the point when you are rushing to complete your assignment hours before the deadline, or having to go into the kitchen to wash up an enormous pile of dishes.

When it comes to thing we don’t like, do them now. Not only does it mean we get them out of the way, but we can then relax and enjoy ourself even more without work looming over us. Or, achieve something new.

Alec Dudson, Editor-in-Chief of Intern magazine, gave an inciteful presentation in the School of Media and Communication on freelancing, and how getting creative now can unlock a world of possibilities. Why label ourselves as students when can be an artist, writer, engineer, linguist, or historian? If you have a dream, it is not going to come true if you do nothing now. If you have a project you want to do, a company you want to work for, places you want to visit, there is no better time to do it than the moment right here.

If you start acting in the present, then every future second has the chance to be even better because of what you are currently doing. All this with just three little letters. Now.

Megan Harrison

Photo credit: https://financialengines.com/education-center/short-term-goals/