Concerning the issue of whether individuals should plan for the future or focus on the present, I believe that individuals definitely must plan for the future due to the following reasons.
Planning for the future has a wealth of benefits. To start off with, a future-oriented person possesses more clear objectives and incentives. It is a well-known fact that individuals who have goals know what they want, thereby having more certainty in life. The second benefit is planning for the future motivates the individual. As a matter of fact, most people’s motivation comes from their vision. Above all, planning for the future makes a person’s development more sustainable. Indeed, without a future plan, even successful people may feel disoriented and cannot understand why they want to be successful; as a result, they may not be able to enjoy their success.
I recognise that focusing on the present can reduce distractions and temptations. This is reasonable to the extent that focusing on the present makes a person more organised. However, having said this, planning for the future is stil not a waste of time because lack of future plans might result in irresponsible and unhealthy lifestyles.
In conclusion, I would argue that designing a future plan is much more important than focusing on the present. Accordingly, it would be generally advisable for individuals to plan for their future first