Sunsets always remind me of the fleeting nature of the days, seasons, and years. It also reminds me that the day naturally passes me by regardless of how I show up for it.
So the best way to show up for it is to work and play in a way that makes my days and that of others better.
To help me do so I have come up with 3 practical tips:
1. Do Less of What I Don’t Enjoy
This should be commonsense to me by this point in life, but I still amaze myself by doing things I don’t enjoy. Now, I am not talking about the unavoidable responsibilities like doctor visits and admin work for my business. I am talking about the no reward/ zero ROI tasks that I voluntarily engage in. For example, I feel drained when I multitask, skip snacks only to get hangry, or spend unintentional time on the phone. I need to do less of these things.
2. Do More of What I Do Enjoy
As ridiculous as it sounds, I often catch myself avoiding activities that I genuinely enjoy. Again, I am not talking about the irresponsible, unhealthy, extravagant activities but rather the simple joys of every day. For example, creating content consistently for my LinkedIn community, doing picnics at the park rather than going out to restaurants, or scheduling quiet times throughout the day. I need to do more of these things.
3. Focus on Why I Do What I Do
There are unlimited options for the job I could take, business I could run, or the topic I could teach, but I chose to research and teach mindfulness for a reason. I teach mindfulness because I understand that only through the capacity to reflect internally and externally and make changes for the better can we master our lives. I often get side-tracked by the everyday business building and maintaining aspects of being a business owner. But through focusing on why I do what I do I can stay inspired and be more effective in helping my clients and, just as importantly, enjoy myself.
I find these regular check-ins to be quite productive for my business, research, and life in general. It directs me back to my anchor when I steer off too far from it.
I hope this will give you a framework to reassess your priorities so you can design your days in a way that honors the fact that the sun will set again this evening marking the end of yet another day in our precious life.
