Planning for the Present

I had a thought today on the way to work. I was wondering why Christmas always catches me off guard. It comes at the same time every year, and yet, I'm always surprised when it comes. I looked at the calendar today and thought, "Hmm, December 16...I've got plenty of time!" Ha! It's really only a week away!!!

But here's the thought I had just a moment later. Lately, I've been trying to be more mindful. Paying attention to what I'm doing now, not what I need to do when I'm done with what I'm doing now. Living in the moment. Being present. But, when I do that, I tend to forget that there's a future I need to think about as well. How do these two ideas live together? How do you live in the moment without having done some planning ahead of time? Maybe it's one of those koans - a conundrum.

I have been more calm since I've been doing this though. When I meditate in the morning, even for 10 minutes, my day goes along much more smoothly. So, I'll stick with it, and try to be present as I'm planning for the future.