Abraham Lincoln Quote on The Future and How It Only Comes One Day At A Time

“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”

Abraham Lincoln, Sunbeams (Page 12)

Beyond the Quote (Day 381)

This is great news because it means you don’t have to have your whole life figured out right now. I think sometimes people forget that. The fear of not knowing how everything is going to play out in a year, five years, ten years, their lifetime—causes many people unnecessary anxiety and stress. And while it’s certainly beneficial to have a one year, five year, ten year, lifetime plan/ goal/ direction—it shouldn’t steal you away from what’s available to you now.

When you’re confronted with a staircase, you don’t spend a disproportionate amount of time stressing about how many stairs you’ll have to climb, do you? Not unless it’s a freakishly large staircase, then maybe. Intuitively, you know nothing is going to get you to the top except stepping up one stair at a time. And the only focus after one step, is the next step you’ll have to take. If you spend too much time staring at the top of the staircase, you might trip over the stairs that are right in front of you.

Revisit your long-term direction occasionally (to make sure you’re on the right staircase), but spend the sweeping majority of your time, here, where the stepping is actually happening. Take a strong, deliberate step forward today and then take a careful, quick look at the step that’s coming tomorrow. Let this be your strategy for realizing your future. For, that’s how staircases are climbed—one step at a time. And that’s exactly how our lives are climbed—one day at a time.

In a Tweet:

How much time do you spend stressing out about staircases?

Not much, eh? You intuitively know to just take them one step at a time.

You should look at the future the same. Don't stress about it unnecessarily—just take it one day at a time.

The future will take care of itself.

— Matthew Hogan (@MattHogan123) January 16, 2021

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Read Next: Tony Robbins Quote on Complexity and How It’s The Enemy of Execution (Day 380)

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