People live different lives. Some might only think about tomorrow, about what food should they eat, what show should they watch; some others think about their far future: a successful career, a house, a car, a family. They can do whatever they want, but how they think about their future comes with a trade-off: "when we ruminate about and plan things to come [...] there is a tendency [...] of undervaluing our sense of the present," as argued by psychologist Richard DeGrandpre in his book published in 1999. It sparks the long debate of whether or not to constantly work with the mindset of a better life tomorrow, or to live a happy but decent and, could be, struggling life. Life is full of surprises, and they all come from the decisions people make today. Even if they work hard, there is nothing to guarantee that they are going to rip off the fruits. But if they only think about themselves at the moment, how can they proceed in life? But here is thing: life is not binary. People do not have to pick one or another. While it is true that people should appreciate the moment, they should also leave some space for future planning, because the two ideas can live together, and they will create a balance and most healthy life in the end.

There are examples of people who work endlessly and always think about the beautiful future, and people thought that is how their life is, boring and repetitive, but it turns out to be not true. Take a look at the glorious career of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest soccer players to ever be on the field. Cristiano is the symbol of pushing oneself to the very limit in order to achieve glory. And while doing so, he sacrifices a lot in his life. He would be in the training field all day all night, practicing the same movement, the same skill, blaming himself for the mistakes he made, while following a strict nutrition guide to build his body. All of that makes people think, this man does not live an ordinary life. He shuts himself from all of the fun life offers to him. While other players can have fun, this man only thinks about the achievements in the future, something that he thinks would be granted to him if he forgets the moment and works as hard as he can for it. But people are wrong. Cristiano Ronaldo still has a family. Besides the hard-working image in the training field and in the stadium, he is still enjoying his life just like anyone else. And how does he enjoy his moment? By the money he earned from his non-stop efforts in the past. One thing people forget, that the future will eventually become the moment, that the future is part of life. One could forget to appreciate this moment, but then they would be the one to smile at the end, at a different moment. Besides, even though it is true that in the past, Ronaldo worked really  hard, there were still moments when he could enjoy his life, like when celebrating a victory, lifting a trophy, or simply, just by being on the pitch and playing soccer. That is how he lives the moment. And that is also how he plans his future. His way to balance between work and life turns about to be great in the end. 

Now, not everyone is Cristiano Ronaldo. Not everything could have the chance to become a professional soccer players and earn millions. But many people for sure have a chance to know what it feels to be a high school student, which is considered by many to be the best time in life. High school in many countries in general offer a lot to their students, but because there are many to choose from, many students find themselves being trapped being chasing the hobby and enjoying the life, and doing homeworking and performing well academically. Because the thing is, if a student devotes so much time into their hobby, like sports, but they ended up not performing well in other classes while at the same time could not find a professional career in sports, it actually would cost them so bad. They would be struggling in college, while blaming themselves if they actually thought carefully about their future rather than chasing what they like. But here is the truth: many students know how to balance between the two, and many colleges offer opportunities for athletic students. Basically, a student can do sports as they like, enjoying their life as they might call it, while still being able to receive a chance to go to college and securing a safe spot in their future. Lots of students are involved in many different things, performing arts, etc., but they still can appreciate the moment while planning things for the future. So basically, it is up to the person to make the best decisions for their life, because keep in mind, the future will eventually become the present. And they can live their present at anytime.

To conclude, people might have the tendency to undervalue their sense of the present, but they should also know that the future will also become their present. So the best way is to balance between having a healthy, good life at the moment, while also keeping in mind that the future self also needs to thank them in some ways, so think about it. And in fact, lots of people have been living like that, that is how life should be.