Opening soon! Stay tuned! Up next! People are obsessed with the next great thing. We often haven’t broken in the current version before we start dreaming of how it can be improved and made new.
In a fast-paced world, the allure of the "next big thing" is captivating. Whether it's technology, entertainment, or lifestyle trends, the anticipation of what's coming next keeps us constantly on the lookout. This perpetual cycle of wanting the latest updates and innovations often leads us to overlook the value and satisfaction of what we currently possess.
Why the rush? Is it the excitement of something new or novel, the promise of enhanced capabilities, of wanting to be able to say you’re the first at something? More likely, it may be that people naturally tend to restlessness and impatience.
Jim Stone, American educator and philosopher addresses why the rush in his 2014 article “Understanding Impatience” in Psychology Today. People have a goal and a timeframe in their mind of how long they are willing to work on that goal. When they approach that time limit and don’t seem to be progressing to their goal, they become impatient. On the larger scale of life, this impatience can transfer into abandoning what is in preference to what might be – that new and improved, next best thing.
We should strive for improvement if it can enhance the present, not at the expense of the present. When improvement, or a better life, or a better mousetrap doesn’t come along, we associate that with the norm and fall into the cycle of looking then for something even better, searching for closure to a seemingly never-ending loop of always looking ahead but not quite getting there.
In our hurried chase for something better, we might miss appreciating the joy and satisfaction of our present experiences and tools. Failing to find our next best thing does more than not satisfying our perceived need. It detracts from our enjoyment of and fulfillment in the present. Always looking ahead distracts us from the present and potentially from the people who share our present. It causes us to second guess the path we are taking and may lead us to questioning otherwise valid expectations.
Although we cannot nor should not stop looking to the future, there are steps you can take to lessen the constant search for new and improved, shifting to searching for new opportunities instead. These begin with our favorite re-centering device, take a deep breath and think about what you already have. Is there something specific about it that really needs improving. Focus on finding the one thing that would make the whole a more positive experience for you. Keep in mind, it may not be a thing or a person that is missing or deficient. It could be your own response, your own engagement in or enthusiasm for the current environment that is lacking. The next new thing you need just might be a new appreciation for that which is.
There are times when looking ahead is appropriate and times when the status quo should be maintained. InThe best is yet to come, we wrote, “You can find a time when all our exciting milestones lose that brand new, never used sheen that added to making the milestone the momentous occasion that it was – and still is, just now a little broken in.”
Taking a moment to appreciate what we have can bring a sense of contentment and mindfulness. While there's nothing wrong with embracing progress and innovation, finding balance is key. Incremental improvement can be more rewarding than mindless upgrading. Enjoy the here and now, value what we currently possess, and still be open to future possibilities.
So, while we stay tuned for what's upcoming and exciting, let's also take a breath to appreciate our current journey. After all, sometimes the latest isn't always the greatest, and the joy of the present can be just as rewarding.
I love the idea that incremental improvement can be more satisfying than mindless upgrading. Nothing stays new forever. The constant lack of contentment with what is can be so discouraging. Looking ahead to what is not yet can be frustrating. You're so right--we need to be mindful of the here and now and not always hope for what may or may not be. It's the tease of "there's something better" rather than momentary gratitude.