Your journey has an outer purpose and an inner purpose. The outer purpose is to arrive at your goal destination – to accomplish what you desire, to achieve what you want, which of course, implies the future.
But if your destination or the steps you are going to take in the future take up so much of your attention that they become more important than the steps you are taking now, then you completely miss the inner journey’s purpose. Your inner journey’s purpose has nothing to do with WHERE you are going or WHAT you are doing, but everything to do with the now.
It has nothing to do with the future.
If you don’t understand your inner purpose you will fail at your outer purpose. Keep in mind that the outer purpose is just a game that you may continue to play because you enjoy it.
And often you may fail, but so what.
Ultimately EVERY outer purpose is doomed to "fail" sooner or later because it is subject to the law of impermanence of all things.
The sooner you realize your outer purpose cannot give you lasting fulfillment the better.
When you have seen the limitations of your outer purpose you can give up the unrealistic expectation that it can make you happy. More importantly, you make it subservient to your inner purpose.
Have your dwelling place in the NOW and pay brief visits to your past and future when required. Always say "yes" to the present moment. Surrender to what is and see how life suddenly starts working for you instead against you.
The key is to LIVE in the present moment, but know that you are creating your future in this moment. What you are looking for is balance in your thinking. In other words, living in the present moment while giving thought to something you desire and expecting it.