Eckhart Tolle distinguishes between useful planning and getting lost in future fantasies. Dreaming about a new house and imagining visitors' admiration, or worrying things won't work out, pulls you away from the present. Planning itself is different: it's practical, not a mental escape.
Do you lose yourself when you dream about that new house and how wonderful it's going to be when you finally move in? People will come and visit you and admire your wonderful new place? That's losing yourself in the future. Or you worry about the house. Is it all going to work? Or think about all the things I will have to do. You can plan for the future. It has nothing to do with losing yourself in the future.
Why alcohol feels like relief, and what it is really giving you | Eckhart Tolle
