I gave up thinking about the future for Lent

Lately, I have noticed that I am constantly ruminating what I hope the future becomes or what I hope the future doesn't become. This constant worrying about the future steals the only thing that is actually real away from me, the present moment.

It's sneaky though, because I rationalize it as "productive" time.

"I am planning"

"I am aligning"

But when it's creating a state of only being half present for the life thats happening now, I miss out.

I will get to how this connects to high performance or sport in a moment, but let's remind ourselves that, the only real thing, meaning the only thing that is not just an illusion we make up in our heads, is the NOW, the unfolding present.

Only RIGHT NOW do we have the potential for a direct, fulfilling relationship with life.  

According to Eckhart Tolle, author of Power of Now, we often will have one of the three relationships (or dysfunctions) with the present moment:

1.) We see the present moment as a means to an end.

2.) We see the present moment as an obstacle.

3.) We see the present moment as the enemy.

Means to an end Mindset:

The age-old, I will be happy and fulfilled when I become an Olympian, or reach the podium, or get the job, or have the family, house, car, income, boat, vacation....

As you can see, one goal is swiftly replaced by the next, so it is no wonder that when we achieve a dream it doesn't last long, we haven't learned to be in the moment! It's like we get stuck on fast forward and, in the meantime, miss our lives.

The day-to-day becomes something to endure as we wait for the promise of happiness in the future. We tend to overlook the beauty, the nuance, the aliveness, and the joy that exists in the now. We rush through in hopes for some future moment we consider more important.

In sport, it is easy to become attached to a desired future goal, whether that is achievement, admiration, recognition, or outcomes. We are taught early and encouraged often to envision the future we want and commit everything to achieving this. This can be felt as pressure and if we don't achieve our goals, seen an individual failure. This wanting and fear of the future are not great motivators.

Think back to a time when you showed up to the game wanting a win so bad you were ready for it to be over before it even started. How did you feel that game? When I think back to these games I remember most the stress, frustration and fatigue. Even if I won the game, I felt more relief than enjoyment.

Now, think back to a time when you felt enthusiastic about simply playing your sport. How did you feel? Hard work likely felt easier, whether you won or lost you likely had a good time.

Another example of seeing the present moment as a means to an end is a trap that I fall into.

It shows up like "I want to go to olympics in two and half years, so I show up at training everyday" , or "I need to make my community proud, so I play"

You may not see anything wrong with this, but the underlying motivation revealed in the "so", is one of 'want' not enthusiasm. Having goals is a great thing, but as athletes we need to become experts at returning to the present moment, and truly enjoying the mundane for the sake of it.

Obstacle/ Problem to Solve Mindset:

We've established when we see the present as a means to get to some future moment that promises happiness and fulfillment, we won't be fully invested in what we're doing now. We rush over the beauty, and over time this causes our emotional tone to shift. We begin to see the present as not just a means but as an obstacle to getting to that future destination.

We become impatient, frustrated, and stressed. Life in the present not only becomes just a stepping stone we take for granted but actually becomes a problem to solve.

It shows up like "If I push through (disassociate), I will get through today" , "I should be further along than this" or "Why can't I do this right?"

Enemy Mindset:

Finally, this grows subtly and sneakily to the point where we see the present moment as an enemy. We begin to hate what we do, we complain, we are angry at things that are happening, we blame and accuse people and circumstances for our bad moods, we fight the moment. Not only do we miss all beauty of the present, we even repel it. Our teammates might not feel as good around us, we begin to effect other people negatively.

This looks like "This injury has ruined everything" , "Why do we have to do this drill again?" or "Nothing ever goes right for me"

Honestly, ask yourself how many times you've thought:

"I just want X, so I have to Y."

"If I just push, I will get through today."

"I don't want to be here right now."

It's a slippery slope that I, unfortunately, have been up and down countless times.

Which also means there is hope and countless times to practice a new mindset.

And it's SO simple. Be present.

Refuse to think about the future and lock in on the now.

This is what I mean by I am giving up the future for lent. Whenever I notice that I start to mentally count down the months, or wish for a future moment unintentionally, I stop the train of thought there, and instead notice what I can see, feel, or hear, I notice my body, breath or what I am currently doing.

By directing my attention back to the present moment before my thoughts get the better of me, I avoid the onset of negative emotions that come with some of the thoughts I listed and it's been really helpful. In fact, results are immediate. Even though I have been practicing this for only a few days, I feel less anxiety and overwhelm. I am reminded that the present moment is worth enjoying.

For mindfulness sessions by Ashley reach out to ashleyjhoffman13@gmail.com