Some People Consider Thinking About And Planning For The Future To Be A Waste Of Time | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample

Some people consider thinking about and planning for the future to be a waste of time. They argue that people should simply live in the moment. Do you agree or disagree? Use at least one personal example in your response.

Here is a band 9 IELTS essay on this topic. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 9 IELTS essay sample

It is often debated whether people should plan for the future or simply live in the moment. In my opinion, both ways of living have their merits.

Living in the present is a great way to beat stress. The past is gone and we can no longer change it. The future is uncertain and there is no way we can predict it. The present is what we have. By making the best use of the present we can enjoy each and every moment of life. This advice is particularly helpful for people who are suffering from terminal illness. Thinking about the uncertain future could be too agonizing and devastating for them. Hence, therapists often suggest that they should experience and focus on the present to reduce their pain. For instance, mindfulness is a form of therapy which guides patients to concentrate on the here and now. Being thankful to the family and friends and feeling blessed for the days that they have lived help the patients forget about the fears of death. People running the rat race also benefit from living in the now. It gives them a moment to take stock of what they have achieved so far.

On the other hand, a little bit of planning is essential to secure our future. While tomorrow is uncertain, the truth is that the vast majority of us will live to seventy or eighty. Without some amount of planning, it is impossible to live a stress free life. For example, every one of us needs to save some money for our retirement. Likewise, planning is essential to have a clear goal in life. Without planning we are like a kite with a broken string. Planning is particularly helpful for young people. It enables them to set up goals and pursue them. What’s more, if we have already planned what we want to do with our lives, we will be able to make better use of our time and resources.

To conclude, there are certainly some merits to living in the present; this, however, does not mean that planning is totally unnecessary. In my opinion, excessive planning should be avoided especially when it hampers our ability to enjoy the present. Even so, it is important for us to have a clear vision in life and it is impossible to achieve it without planning.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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