Living In The Moment
...............................
Ten
Ways To Pause When You’ve No Time To Spare
© 2005 Patricia Katz, Life Balance Strategist
As
a busy entrepreneur, you may feel you’ve no time to spare. Still, there are ways of going about your everyday business
that will help you be more present to the moment and less frenzied about the future. Here are ten ideas to get you started.
1.
Give one
simple mundane task your complete attention. Read a memo with care. Admire
a plant as you give it water. Note every muscle you use to sit down.
2.
Anchor yourself. Lean against the wall or doorjamb while you finish a conversation with a staff
member. Feel the support. Be present to the moment and the exchange.
3.
Be generous
with your smiles. Become a beacon of warmth and encouragement.
Share a smile with your customer, your assistant, or the stranger in the street. It
costs nothing, takes no extra time, and warms your world.
4.
Pen a few
words the way you learned to write in grade school - fully
forming each and every letter. Sign your name. Add a task to a list. Whatever it is, write with care and attention as if your teacher
were standing over your shoulder.
5.
Give ‘urgent’
requests for your time the acid test. Do they feature blood,
guts, or gore? Is life or property in danger? If not, don’t get agitated. Respond from calm, not from panic.
6.
Recognize
extraordinary ‘one-of-a-kind’ events! New clients,
projects won, missions completed are all important reasons to take a brief break and celebrate. The work
will wait.
7.
Flip the
techno switches in your life for just a moment. Send the phone
to voice mail. Turn off your beeper and cell phone. Blank the screen on your computer monitor. Feel what it’s like to
be on human time again.
8.
Take mini
mental holidays. Surround yourself with photos and mementoes
of happy times and valued relationships. Let your eyes and your mind rest on these treasures throughout the day.
9.
Zero in on
a piece of art or a landmark. Choose something that is a part
of your everyday experience. Examine it and enjoy it as if you were meeting it for the very first time.
10. Think of a business mentor whom you
admire. Reflect on what’s
valued and honored by your role model, and how you might like to become more like him or her. Carry that insight into your
day.
If you find these suggestions of value you’ll really appreciate the booklet, ‘Give Me A Break – 67 Ways to Pause When You Absolutely Positively Do Not Have The Time”. GMAB
is a great gift – of time and value – for yourself as well as staff and clients. For details on the print and
electronic versions, see: http://www.pauseworks.com/shop/publications.php#givemeabreak
