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"The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now."

This is an amazing quote was posted on a friend's Facebook page. It was all at once painful, thought-provoking, and soul-stirring. It forced me to shake my head, and give myself a polite smack in the face. So, what do you do when your "right now" is directly contrary to your "someday"?

Let's get real. Sometimes, the things you need right now are things that you need RIGHT NOW! Sometimes, it's more important to take a job at Walgreens so you can pay your light bill than it is to hold out and wait for your first painting to sell. Sometimes, making your ex sweat by showing up with a hot new companion on your arm is more important than having a true connection with your date. I get it. Realistically, you have to take care of the now. In my opinion, it's ok to feed an immediate need, but you have to do it consciously. You cannot go blindly through life, satisfying immediate needs without being aware of your ultimate goals.

How do we perform the balancing act? I'll say it again. Write those goals down. Be aware of what it is that you want most. Focus on that. Realize how the immediate need interacts with that ultimate goal. Does it help it or is it opposed to it? What can you learn from the satisfaction of this need to help you achieve your ultimate goal?