Today we are going to cover the third possibility of our approach to time. If you checked the previous two (even if you didn’t) it should be easy to guess that the last option is the ‘focus on the future.’ This is the last article explaining different approaches to time, once you read them, you should be able to determine your point of view, and work on enhancing the positive consequences of the particular approach. We will cover the benefits that come from focusing on a certain period of time in our next article.
Be sure to check our posts about past and present orientation!
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Future Orientation
From time to time we all “attune” our minds to focus on the future. It happens during the important events in our life. Like when we have to choose the school or university; when we are planning to change the job or establish a family. This is pretty natural – we may be unsure, stressed out, but also hopeful and full of anticipation. However, there are also people, who focus on the future on the daily basis. How does it work for them?
Future becomes the main engine that drives us – our decision are based on it, our thinking. The outcome is rather positive. A person focused on the future is reliable, has everything planned beforehand and works diligently to achieve the goal (which she/he can see clearly in her/his head.) Whatever it is that we engage in, we should succeed.
On the other hand, the person with future orientation may overthink too much, which will result in anxiety attacks, constant stress, and the sense that they have to sacrifice every day to work for the better future. If such thinking doesn’t change in time, such person may end up as a very unhappy millionaire (yes, such people exist!) If we don’t take time to enjoy what we have in the present and constantly look into the future, we are missing too many vital parts of our life. Sometimes it’s best to slow down a little.
How Can the Future Orientation Help Us?
As was already mentioned, it is very useful when it comes to completing tasks and achieving goals. It is easier to plan ahead and have every aspect of our work and private life under control. One’s approach towards responsibilities is mostly enthusiastic, and the determination to achieve what we want is always high. One thing is sure, it definitely helps when we have a lot on our heads.
How Does It Disrupt Our Plans?
As we said, our determination to achieve success is high. Perhaps, a little bit too high, because we may forget about our daily needs, like relaxing, eating regularly, sleep and exercise – this may turn into a very unhealthy workaholism, so we should be careful with this approach.
When we constantly burden ourselves with duties, we stop feeling satisfaction, the sense of fulfillment disappears. We tend to postpone or even turn away from the activities that filled us with joy, as we can’t stop thinking of the future profits.
Sometimes people oriented on the future try to solve problems which cannot be solved by them. They don’t realize that in some cases it is better to wait and see how the situation develops – rushing to deal with it may result in worsening the case. Thus, it is necessary for them to learn how to tell difference between these problems, which are in their reach and can be solved, and those that cannot.
With such an approach, it happens too often that our actions are determined by factors that we cannot in any way change. Too much of our energy goes into trying to achieve a goal that is out of our range.
Summing Up
The Future Orientation may be very helpful when we have to deal with a lot of stuff and plan ahead. It is, however, not recommended to constantly focus on it, as we may get stuck in a loop of misery and self-deprecation.
Next time we are going to write about the results of establishing one’s own approach to time, and try to balance it, to earn as many benefits from it, as possible.