Live Life One Day At a Time

It’s Tuesday night. I’m in the midst of designing a website and here’s the conversatio
I have with myself:

“Ooh, it’s late. In a few hours it’ll be Wednesday. I have three meetings and a proposal due. Thursday is my class day so I’ll study for 4 hours and 3 hours on a conference call. Oh my gosh this week is already over!”

Whoa. In just 20 seconds on a Tuesday night, I’d made my entire week disappear. It was overwhelming! I immediately felt the pangs of not having enough hours in the day. I started to hang the banners for the ultimate business owner’s pity party. Theme: Overworked and Underpaid.

We all do it. We think about what’s next, ignoring all the great things that are happening RIGHT NOW. As a small business owner, the onus is on you and you alone to make the business successful. You’re the sales team, marketer, CFO, CEO, and janitor! With all of this responsibility in your hands, it’s important that you keep a high level of productivity. It’s easier to do that if your head isn’t flooded with the worries of another day.

So to be more successful in business, in life, in any pursuit, you must LIVE IN THE PRESENT. Here are three tips on centering your thoughts to become more present in the moment:

Pause: Stop thinking. When I had that crazy, week-shattering thought on Tuesday, I realized it was completely crazy and I took a few deep breaths. Inhale peace and exhale worry. Seriously, think those words as you inhale and exhale. If your mind is focused on your breathing and saying those words, you wanna know what it’s not doing? Stressing out!

Accept: Once you’ve slowed the barrage of thoughts, accept them. Don’t judge yourself for being stressed. That can send you into another tornado of thoughts. Acceptance is the only way to stop the cycle. Tell yourself ”It’s all okay.”

Replace: Now that you’ve cleared your mind of tomorrow’s worries, replace them with thoughts of today. What are you working on now and what can make that better? Where are you in the world and what do you appreciate about those surroundings? Who is with you and are you giving that person your full attention? With the future focused thoughts gone, focus on what is right in front of you, begging for your attention.

With these tips, allow yourself to become lost in the current moment, without worrying about what comes next. You are a fantastic and intelligent human being. If you can get through this moment with peace and purpose the next moment, task, person or project will be there waiting for it’s own time. I promise, if you live in the present, you’ll be more productive, satisfied and successful in work and in life.