There is something I am starting to hear more and more about in books, business and the world in general. That is the notion of living for today as opposed to tomorrow.

The last few years of undertaking my degree have seen me undertake a dramatic change in my point of view. Originally entering my Entrepreneurship Bachelor I had this idea that I wanted to make hundreds of millions of dollars and that I would sacrifice short term happiness for it. In the last two years however, I have changed my focus from being a high growth entrepreneur to a lifestyle entrepreneur. Although I still have long term plans, I am more focused on living today rather than sacrificing for a life tomorrow.

There have been many things that have changed this perspective. One includes having seen very close family members lose their chances of early retirement. Others are books I have read. Regardless, here are some of the things I have learned along the way that I think are helpful for remembering the importance of living for today.

1. Retirement is Worst-Case Scenario Insurance

Tim Ferriss has to be one of my main inspirations. Ever since reading his book, my mindset has been realigned to a point where it was several years ago. Almost everyone I speak to dislikes working and all talk about setting themselves up with investment properties for early retirement. I don't blame them. Who would want to do something today that they dislike just to make ends meet? Furthermore, doing what they dislike only seems to end up with a mediocre standard of living in later years.

We are much better off spending our time doing things we enjoy. If we do what we love, chances are we won't want to retire (unless our bodies break down and we physically can't anymore). We should still plan for retirement but it should not be the objective. Warren Buffet turns 80 this year and he is still working... Why? Because he loves what he is doing. We should be eager to wake up and be excited about what every single day holds rather than merely feeling obliged to complete the necessary requirements that are expected of us.

2. Living in day-tight compartments

Today is the tomorrow we dreamed about yesterday. The only way to change where our future is heading is to take action today. We can only act in the present moment, so now is the best time to take action. Want to improve your finances? Then make a few phone calls, put $25 dollars in your savings account or take some other form of action. Want to reconnect with an old friend? Then make a phone call or write a letter tonight. Don't put it off or it will never happen. Time is short and only temporary.

On the other side the benefit of living in today is very liberating. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? You could live or you might die. You can't change your past and it is gone, but you can change the way today (and potentially tomorrow) plays out by taking action. This is a liberating thought.

3. Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself

This is a biblical saying. Have you ever starved? If you are reading this post, chances are you have never been without clothing, without luxuries and without food long enough to cause you significant health problems (unless it is a self inflicted choice). Worrying about tomorrow cannot add a single second to your life... so don't stress about it.

I remember for a long time I used to do this. I didn't feel like I was achieving what I wanted to within a time frame I had set for myself. Nowadays I just focus on achieving what I can for the day. If I get a lot done, great. If I can't, that's okay too. Also, if I feel my energy is down today I will usually wait a bit and get stuck into something later in the day or tomorrow (note: I do not recommend putting off tasks though if you are simply procrastinating or trying to avoid difficult tasks).

4. Where the fear is, happiness is not (Seneca)

When we fear something, it is usually because we have expectations (either real or imagined). Fear prevents us from enjoying happiness and content in the moment. The fearless way of approaching things is to just take them as they come and to respond to situations in the moment. Make plans but don't have expectations of how things will plan out. A good example of this was the swimming lessons I started last week. I was really fearful of getting back in the water. However, I had no idea what would happen in my lesson. I decided just to wait and see what would happen in the moment. It turned out to not be so bad, but the fear I had made things appear worse than they were.

Avoid fear by taking things as they come. Do what you can today to make a difference, but don't have an expectation of the outcome.

Have you noticed any differences in your life when you have focused on taking action today rather than worrying about or fearing tomorrow?