How to Stop Future-Tripping

(screen hissing) (button clicking) (chimes ringing) Headspace Studios. (gentle music) Hey, friends, it's Rosie here. Welcome to "Radio Headspace." Most days when I sit down with you here, I talk about being in the present moment, why grounding ourselves in the now matters, and how letting go of the past or loosening our grip on the future can help us come back to ourselves. But I wanna say something that might sound surprising, because I think it's important to clarify. Being present doesn't mean ignoring the past or pretending the future doesn't exist. When I decided to go back to grad school, I didn't just wake up one morning and say, "Let's do this." It came from a deeper place, a desire to expand, to evolve, and to support the work I already do in a way that felt more aligned. But I'll be honest, there were moments where the future planning started to take over. What would my schedule look like? Could I still manage everything? Was I doing the right thing? That's when I had to remind myself, yes, it's important to plan, but the only place I can make those plans real is right here, in this moment. I remember sitting at my dining table, surrounded by open notebooks, course catalogs, and sticky notes filled with timelines and application deadlines. It was full-blown vision board energy, and I was spiraling a bit. I had to pause, literally close my laptop, and take a deep breath. Because I realized I wasn't planning anymore. I was future tripping. And one of my teachers once told me something I come back to all the time. You don't build the future by obsessing about it. You build it by how you show up today. That hit me. Because it reminded me that dreaming big and being grounded aren't opposites. They're teammates. The past, present, and future aren't enemies. They work together. But it's presence right now that allows us to move forward with intention, not fear. So if you've been thinking a lot about what's next, career moves, big decisions, life pivots, try this. Pause, take a deep breath, and ask, "What is one small step I can take today to support the future I'm envisioning?" Just one, that's enough. Because real change doesn't happen in some far-off moment. It starts here. Being present doesn't mean we stop planning. It means we stop spiraling. It means we bring awareness into our dreaming. We notice when our thoughts take us out of the moment, and we gently guide ourselves back. So whether you're reflecting on the past or looking toward the future, you can still stay grounded. The key isn't to avoid those thoughts. It's to relate to them with mindfulness. And if you're looking for some extra support, check out the "Imagining Ourselves Fully Present" meditation in the app. That's it for today, friends. If you're caught between planning and presence, you can always share your thoughts with me on Instagram @RosieAcosta....