Live for the Present or the Future (only partly)?

Okay, so I was in bed but I had a sudden urge to write something on the blog so I got up. (It's not true.)

So anyway, we talked about how present is the only "real" thing out of past, present and future and therefore we should all live in the present.

I generally agree with the point: We should all be living in the present. In the end, you don't really know when you're going to die and you don't want to leave any regrets. (Let's just get the past out of the way. I don't think we should really dwell on the past at all, apart from learning from it, although it's pretty hard sometimes and I do it all the time.)

But a part of me wants to say sometimes you have to endure whatever you don't like in the present for the future. I think people have a tendency to do what's pleasant, quick and easy for the present. That's certainly the case for me which have caused me much trouble in life. (Or maybe I shouldn't be attending UVa with this kind of mindset?)

If living in the present means only doing what's enjoyable in the present, I don't feel like this is the best way to tackle life at all because yes it is pleasant for now, but it's pretty obvious you'll suffer in the end like I did and do.

But what fascinates me is that in the today's talk as well as in life in general, there are "successful" people who say: "Yeah, the door opened up to me as I went along." I guess that's the ideal case of living in the present working out for the future.

So I guess my question is:

How should you live your present so that you don't have any regrets behind, but things work out for the future in the end?

Or more broadly:

Do you agree/disagree (at least partly) about living for the present alone?

Any comments are welcome.

Cheers,

Yongjin