Standing still, moving forward

Good morning, faithful followers! Last time we met, I was extolling the virtues of D-I-Y and preparing for the challenges of my current growth spurt.

February continues to be both an exciting and challenging month for me and for many students, grads, and professionals I know. The semester is in full swing, organizations are kicking back in gear, expectations are high, and a solid routine has been established.

Well, that last one is a little bit questionable, for me, at least. I always seem to start each semester thinking, “Oh, I have time to get my schedule settled, then I’ll fix a time to do homework, to work out, and to spend regular time with friends. And sleep.” Then, lo and behold, it’s the middle of February, and I still haven’t found a good time to get to the gym (is there ever a good time to get to the gym?), and I’m fluctuating between 11 hours of sleep a night on (free) weekends and 5 hours per night during the week. (ouch.) I try to plan for the rest of the semester, trying to establish a routine that’ll help me be successful, and it seems like I blink and the semester is over.

This feeling of balancing the present with the future is something that I’ve been reflecting on in many aspects of my life recently. Just like the title of this post, often I feel like I’m standing still, looking to move forward, and then all of a sudden it’s the future…and I missed the present.

A few of my best friends in my grad program and I were recently at a professional conference, listening to a wonderful keynote speech by a hero of our student affairs field (shoutout to Dr. Marcia Baxter Magolda!), and she set aside time during her speech for us to talk in groups about our self-authorship (the concept of listening to and trusting one’s inner voice) and our students’ paths to self-authorship, and how we can help each other along the way. Well, let me tell you, reflection is a FAVORITE pastime of us student affairs grads, so my friends and I got into some deep conversations in the 5-minute discussion times allotted to us.

One of the pieces of our conversation and reflection stands out to me as I think back, and really relates to my personal feelings about the subject of this post, standing still and moving forward. As first-year students in a two-year Master’s degree program, it seems like we have a LOT to learn in a SHORT amount of time. Our good friends the second-years are already embarking upon their job searches, trying to secure various spots as professionals in our field, and we first-years often get a little caught up thinking about—and worrying about—that future. Job searching A YEAR AWAY is a little too close for comfort, and a few of us first-years have begun to consider what our areas of interest within our field are, where we might want to work, and more, and trying to make choices based upon those hopes and desires.

However, as my friends and I were reflecting on this seemingly imminent future, we paused for a moment. We realized we were getting caught up in a future that is a year away, and losing sight of the amazing learning, growing, and sharing opportunities we have RIGHT NOW.

This question—how do I balance preparing for the future with living in and enjoying the present?—is starting to pervade into other areas of my life, as I mentioned before. Even the simplest thing, such as me counting down to (what I like to call) my triumphant return visit to my undergrad in two weeks, is me focusing on the FUTURE and pushing through the PRESENT. Granted, I’ve been looking forward to this trip for several months, but isn’t that the problem? Because—and here’s the tough question—what happens when it’s over?

Think on that a minute. Sometimes, we spend so much time looking forward to and preparing for the future, that

we forget to stop,

look around,

smell some roses,

love some people,

and enjoy the moment.

That’s my new goal for this semester (I don’t want to look more forward than that!): to REALLY and truly take time to appreciate—that’s right, I said appreciate—every. single. moment, good OR BAD.

So while I’m appreciating the moment, soaking it in, and truly taking time to be thankful for everything around me, I encourage you to do the same.