Your meditation guru has probably told you numerous times how important living in the moment is. Don’t have a guru in your corner? Well, this kind of advice might fall into the obvious category, but it’s still so challenging to follow. By nature, humans are always wanting more, looking forward to the future, worrying about the future, or wallowing in the past. What you’re doing, right at this very moment, is overlapped with at least one personal or professional success.
Why aren’t you enjoying it? Americans in particular are getting more and more stressed, anxious and overworked. Blame it on the digital era if you like, but the reality is that we’re simply programmed to be this way. It’s going to take a conscious effort to unwind and reflect on your success. It’s going to take even more work to do this without putting that success at risk.
How to get started
“Relaxing” and “unwinding” aren’t permanent states of being, but rather a practice that you need to indulge in every single day. A “successful” meditation, of genuine meditation, might only be a few seconds. Remember your last yoga class when you were in savasana and going over your to-do list? You weren’t making the most of that time of reflection.
The reality is that there’s no one best way for everyone to relax (if there were, the problem would be solved). The trick is finding what works for you and taking time each day to practice it. Maybe it’s sitting down, closing your eyes, and listening to your version of inspiration music for 10 minutes (Hall of Fame is completely acceptable). Maybe it’s going on a walk or playing with your dog, but whatever it is, focus on all you have to be grateful for and what you’ve achieved so far.
Tackling stage two
The next step is not just embracing your success, but doing so without putting your future success on the chopping block. It’s hard to get to the point of recognizing your success, but once you’re there it’s all too easy to throw caution to the wind. You’re here, you’ve made it, and you can do it all over again so why not take a risk and ditch your career for a startup or other endeavor? That might be just what you need, but if it’s impulsive at all, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
The best way to strike a balance is to write down (in writing, in an actual notebook) feasible yet challenging goals both professionally and personally. This will help hold you accountable, and you can also see in permanent ink just what you’ve already achieved. It’s your personal coach, cheerleader and biggest fan all in one and it can change your life.
When it comes to appreciating yourself, all you have, and taking a slice of each day just for you, it might seem indulgent at first. It’s not. You and everyone around you deserve the best you, and that requires “me time” and a little patting of your own back.
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