The ‘Next Thing’ is Now
View from our balcony in Mlini, outside Dubrovnik, Croatia
Before we left Louisville, I told a good friend that I wanted to be very intentional about enjoying each day and each place we would be. This may sound obvious, but I am someone who loves to look ahead to the next thing. My joy and happiness with accomplishing something, reaching a destination, or achieving a goal is always short-lived and my mind immediately shifts to the next thing – the next goal, challenge, destination, etc. This has served me incredibly well in my life and career, but it does have its drawbacks and can be exhausting for those around me (and, at times, for me as well).
But that is not how I want to spend this year. We’ve worked and planned and saved for this for so long and now that it is here, I want to savor each day and every moment. I don’t want to be in Paris or Dubrovnik and not be fully present because I’m thinking about the next country or destination we are headed. I also don’t want to miss being fully present because I’m on my phone checking social media or email worried about what others are doing or thinking or what my next job will be or any other thing that doesn’t have to do with the people and places right in front of me.
And while it sounds simple, it is not so easy to do. Over the course of the last 15+ years, probably since leaving grad school, I’ve been chasing the next thing, juggling numerous work and personal commitments that required more hours in the day than there are, making multitasking and a constant push forward feel like the only way to get it all done. Rewiring my brain and breaking down those muscles takes a bit of time.
To be sure, it is easier to do here in Europe, where the pace of life and the emphasis on experiences and truly living in the moment is in clear view and stark contrast to the work-centric mentality in the US. The mirror axiom of “working to live” verse “living to work” is evident in nearly everything. Take the simple act of getting coffee. Here, in Dubrovnik, the translation means “going to experience coffee”. There is no thought or even an opportunity to “take it to go”. Why would you take your coffee to go when the point is to sip it and enjoy?
So, with this modeling, as I look back over the first month of travel, I think I’ve done well to recognize when my brain trips forward or I feel the pull to look and plan ahead at a time when I should be immersing in the here and now. Whether rolling down a hill with my kids, playing commentator to a fierce game of Euchre, or enjoying a delicious dinner and a breathtaking view with amazing friends, this year has been in my mind as the “next thing” for so long. Now that its here, I’m trying to let this be all I’m focused on.
This approach has helped me feel more calm, more engaged, more present, and more intentional about my experiences. Its like all my senses are being used and I’m humming with a calm, positive energy that doesn’t feel forced or tiring. It’s completely different from the energy I used to get from juggling multiple commitments and projects and engaging in community. That energy always felt like I was going from one fast burn to another. I thrived on it and enjoyed it for a very long time and I might again in the future. At this moment though, I’m loving the ability to soak in the now.
