What happened to the time? When we are busy in our day-to-day lives, it sometimes seems that whole seasons pass in a blink. And the goals we have…well, they can easily slip by in that blur too. You want to WAKE UP: to get control of your time and meet your goals. But how?

In coaching, we sometimes talk about our lives being in process. That is, our lives are constantly flowing forward over and around the highs and lows of our everyday experiences, like a river. As humans we often try to minimise those ups and downs: We plan for the future, we dwell on the past, and thus avoid experiencing the emotion at this present moment. As a result, we dampen our aliveness and sort of zone out. No wonder we suddenly “wake up” to realise minutes, even days or weeks, have passed us by!

Have you ever had the experience of driving a car only to find yourself suddenly at your destination? Where have you been? Not present, that’s for sure! But really, what does it mean to be present in your day-to-day life?

It’s quite challenging to focus all your attention on this moment. Try it: As you are reading these words, slow down. Experience the action of reading one word at a time. What sounds do you hear in the room around you? How comfortable are you? How are you breathing? Recognise that you are alive, right now, in this moment. What was that like for you?

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Here's another experiment. Go ahead and laugh - - but try this anyway. It may give you a whole new way to be in the moment: As you go through your day, ask yourself: Where’s my butt? On a chair? Against a wall? Walking past the consignment shop on Main Street? Crazy as it sounds; it is very difficult not to be present when you're trying to figure out where your bum is!

OK! Now you’ve tried ‘bum awareness’ and have probably heard all kinds of other advice for becoming present in the moment – breathing, mindfulness, meditation, and so forth. Now broaden the concept: how can you stay present and focused for a project or goal in your life? Select a theme. Some of you may have theme days for your social media content plan, so why not try it on for your business as a whole?

Here’s how it works: As an example, my theme for my business this year is “fun and inspired action.” This theme serves a filter. Each month, I review my business goals through the lens of my theme and prioritise those that will be the most fun and give me and my clients the most inspiration. Whether it’s brainstorming projects to undertake or deciding which opportunities to say ‘yes’ to,  I look for those that best match my theme. 

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My theme gives me a sense of meaning when choosing new opportunities and keeps me present. Most importantly, it helps me to keep focused and saying ‘no’ to things that don’t fit in the theme. 

What is YOUR theme? It’s time for you to wake up and be on fire too!

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