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# Not living life, now
- URL: https://www.gilespcroft.com/not-living-life-now/
- Published: 2025-12-09T07:00:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-18T10:48:45.000Z
- Description: If we spend all our time with our attention on that fabled ‘better tomorrow’, you know what we miss out on? 🤨
- Author: Giles P Croft
- Tags: Presence, Comics, Goals, Parenting, Quick insight, MECHANICS

The other day we took an in-depth [look at goals](https://www.gilespcroft.com/ill-be-happy-when/), in particular how this whole striving-for-an-outcome thing can trip us up a bit, reinforcing the outside-in illusion by making a fallacious connection between the goal and how we feel.

While I was writing that one, there was a concept that floated up for me—a sort of summary of it all—but then the post ended up going in a slightly different direction, and when I tried to squeeze it in, it didn't fit.

So it's here, instead. Your take-home message:

😩

We can spend our **entire* lives with our attention on ****what's next**, dreaming of a ‘better tomorrow’ which means we fail to experience, or enjoy the **real* happiness that is life, ****NOW**.

And I really don't want that for you.

(Or me. Or anyone!)

I scouted around to see if I could find a pithy little cartoon to depict this for you – something to make it visually memorable.

I came across a popular meme that says:

> “Tomorrow will be better. And if it's not, I will say it again.”

And I suppose that's all fine and dandy, but it's a tad positive-thinky for my liking, and not really what the Daily Reminders are all about. (The antithesis, in fact!)

So I turned instead to an old favourite: [Calvin & Hobbes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin%5Fand%5FHobbes?ref=gilespcroft.com). I grew up on these cartoons, and am making sure my daughter does, too, because they cut to the heart of the human experience.

Out of the mouths of babes…

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/2025/12/2025-12-09-Calvin-Hobbes-living-in-the-future.jpg)](https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1988/04/17?ref=gilespcroft.com)

Taken from the [Calvin & Hobbes Portable Compendium](https://amzn.to/3MMX0If?ref=gilespcroft.com) Book 4 p.95 (17th April 1988)

> *“We're so busy watching out for what's ahead of us that we don't take the time to enjoy where we are.”* \~ Calvin

Life's only *ever* happening now… don't wish it away.

💟

Giles

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### Related

[I’ll be happy when…Four words that ruin lives… and yet we don’t even notice 😩![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/icon/DR_Lockup-Black-3-115.png)The Daily RemindersGiles P Croft![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/f3/9bf3d316-7d32-494b-814f-a7d94d6358c3/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1529672425113-d3035c7f4837.jpeg)](https://www.gilespcroft.com/ill-be-happy-when/)

Goals are ***brilliant…** until they're not.