Life is only today. We can think about yesterday and tomorrow, and what’s happening away from us, but our experiences are grounded in the here and now. So whatever you do today, you could presumably do for the rest of your life. The choices we make, the patterns we lean into, the way we view our experiences of the world today are all shaping what happens in our futures.

This can be a good thing. Because today is manageable. Today I can avoid the sweets on the counter at work. Today I can get up when my alarm goes off. Today I can challenge myself to realistic goals and have a higher chance of succeeding at them. I may not make a million dollars or pay off my house today, but I can make smarter financial decisions.

The disconnect between today and tomorrow can be the difference between a life well lived and one that is filled with regret. By taking each day as it comes we can learn to anchor ourselves to the present moment. It can be so easy to look at achieving the big goal down the line, but we will never get there if we don’t pay attention to the little ones along the way.

So pay attention. Be where you are. And let the choices you make today set the tone for the rest of your life. And if you don’t like how you lived today, no problem. A new dawn will come.