Be Where Your Feet Are. It is easy to get caught in the swirl of planning for the future and all the permutations of options and scenarios. It could be ‘what if my job goes away or changes’ or ‘what will I do if…’ or ‘but in the future…’. In my coaching I spend a great deal of time pointing out that we are missing a lot of the data to make future decisions in the present.
It isn’t meant to be short or glib (well, maybe a little) but it is easy to let tomorrow be the thief of today’s joy. It is easy to spin up worry and miss what is happening right in front of us; forgetting to focus on what matters now and in the moment.
A client is interviewing for new positions. As soon as she was invited to interview, she asked if she should speak to her current manager. I don’t believe there is enough data to show her hand. One interview does not a job offer make.
Be where your feet are. See if this is a job you might be interested in. See if they are actually interested in you. There is a lot of data to be gleaned before you risk sharing your search with your current employer.
An employee is going out on parental leave. Going out on leave is a stressful transition, particularly for a first-time parent: will my workload be here when I get back? Will the team miss me? Will they think my coverage does a better job than I do? All good questions, but none can be answered now.
Be where your feet are. Focus on the task at hand: bringing new life into the world and learning how to be their parent. The person who is going to return has not been born yet; you don’t know what you will want or need when you return (or if you will want to return) to work. It will all come together; figure it out down the road.
When you allow work to creep into your family time. We all do it, check our phones outside of the workday not wanting to miss a message. Whether you have children, a partner or friends, they notice.
Be where your feet are. For that small amount of time at the end of your workday, disconnect. Put your phone out of reach or out of sight. Focus on where your feet are and who you are with. Be present. You might check later (after the kids go to sleep or the workout or dinner are finished) but for this moment, give your full time and attention to the moment.
What location have you liked most on your nomad adventure? Everyone asks this question and where am I going when I am done. Both good questions, but they take me away from being where I am – in this moment.
Be where my feet are. I am intentionally not comparing one place to another, consciously enjoying the magic of each location. If I compare, I don’t believe I am giving myself the opportunity to have the best possible experience in real time. My goal instead is to make every day joy-FILLED. And that requires me to be in this moment.
I challenge you (along with myself) to be more present and see what you experience when you live life where your feet are.
Best,
Barbara
PS. I have written this blog post in my head about a dozen times, but the thoughts haven’t made it to paper. Perhaps I have been living by my own advice and being present (although it has felt like procrastination). Thank you for your patience.
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