Are You So Busy That You Are Missing What’s Right in Front of You?

One of the key ways we sabotage ourselves is by keeping so busy that we have no room to breathe and no room to be present. We multi-task ourselves to death while overbooking our schedules and can barely see straight. I know. I’ve been there and slip into that pattern most easily.

What I know for sure is that it is extremely detrimental to our success. It literally inhibits our ability to create wealth in all areas of our lives. Left unchecked we suddenly find ourselves holding our breath, running from thing to thing, stressed beyond belief and totally exhausted at the end of the day (if not earlier, perhaps even the moment we get out of bed).

Last weekend I went for a morning paddle for a few hours on a local lake. Nothing earth shattering, no big adventure, just a steady paddle and some quiet time to slow down to the speed of life. It was pretty hot and given the unseasonably hot June we have had here, much of nature is racing ahead (thinking it is July). That is why I was surprised when we discovered that many of the water lilies were in bloom already. Usually that doesn’t happen until late June and we certainly have never been lucky enough to catch so many in bloom all at once. All I can say is they are freaking amazing and beautiful flowers. If you paddle up to one and just float there you can almost see it pulsing opening a little more, and closing just a hair. Sure it is the water and not the flower itself but the effect is mesmerizing.

In that moment the weight of the world just melted away. A very busy week of business related activities which had me all wound up no longer mattered for a bit. I was here, I was happy, it was great.

Now this may seem like a small deal. You may even sarcastically say that you don’t have time nor do you care about looking at the lilies. That’s ok. Not everyone is a nature freak like I am. However, I am here to tell you that if you aren’t stopping and looking, you are missing opportunities right in front of you. Opportunities to grow your business, opportunities to enhance your career, and opportunities to build deep and rich relationships. How do I know this?

In my experience personally and coaching others I constantly see moments where you slap your forehead in that "I could’ve had a V8" manner from the old commercials because you let good fortune and possibility escape as you sped past it at 100 mph riding in your daily to-do schedule. Taking a moment to get clear or get grounded never even crossed your mind. And then this pattern continued for days, weeks, months, years, or maybe even longer.

Do you see yourself in this scenario? Do you sense you may be missing out on something special?

If so - here’s my coach’s challenge for you:

For the next week - for at least 10 minutes a day (split it up as you see fit) - slow down. I mean really slow down. Walk as if you are watching yourself on pause on the TiVo where your heel slowly hits the ground and then rolls one inch at a time toward your toes until your leg starts to swing forward with the other foot’s heel ready to strike the ground. You may think - "That is REALLY freaking slow!" Yes it is. It is for exaggeration and to cultivate some serious awareness for yourself as you go about your day.

As you do this - notice how you feel. Notice what you notice. See if you find yourself able to take a slower and deeper breath. Just watch and listen to what is happening inside and around you.

I guarantee it will astound and delight you much like this water lily did for me. Once you’re able to notice, you are ready to receive new opportunities that come your way and they most definitely are right there waiting for you.