How much time to you spend worrying about what might happen, or feeling frustrated about what happened yesterday or last week?
Most of us ebb and flow on the spectrum of presence, but it is interesting to take a moment and reflect on just how much of our time we spend in the past, present and future.
Take a moment now and reflect over your past week… make a guess, how many hours have you spent thinking about the past; how many hours have you spent thinking about what might happen in the future; and how many hours have you spent on the here and now?
It is important to spend time in each of these states but depending on what is happening in our lives, we do need to find ‘the right balance’.
Photo courtesy of Samuel Austin – Unsplash
Too much time in the past means we may be ruminating on things we cannot change - not enough time means we don’t take the life lessons or enjoy fond memories.
Too much time in the future means we may be worrying about things that may not happen – not enough and our work or life dream may never come to fruition.
Not enough time in the present – means that we are not spending time where we actually have the ability to influence and shape the lives we want to live. It is also not something that serves others well… we all know what it is like to be with someone who is ‘really’ somewhere else.
“The future depends on what we do in the present ~ Mahatma Gandhi”
How do you make sure you are grounded in the here and now – truly present in mind, body and spirit for the conversation you are about to have with your work colleague, your family or your friends?
When I did this activity recently, I realised I was focussing ‘a lot’ on the future, because I didn’t want to think about or deal with what was on my plate ‘right now’. This awareness helped me understand why I had been feeling so exhausted… I was expending extra energy to remain busy and distracted however the emotions I was trying to avoid were not going to process themselves. It gave me opportunity to be a little more mindful in my focus and prompted me to consider how I could better manage my energy during this time.
It is best to take a moment to mindfully check in on this on a reasonably regular basis. Our needs change, just as the environment around us does. We need to mindfully adapt our balance so as to be our best self and build our best life.
So what does balance look like for you? Do you feel like you have the balance right for now? What might you do to change it?
I’ll be posting every weekday in August. Follow me to benefit from my Adapt in August series and build your capability for adapting to change.
Keep well,
Vicki
My business is helping you with yours…
If you would like further information or to arrange some support in building this skill please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to helping you build your success your way.
Yours in success,
Vicki
