Last weekend, while heading to the beach with a friend, I had a GREAT ah-ha moment. As we caught up on business talk and of course our love life stories, I realized I was thinking about my business and a guy. If you don’t know what traveling in the future is, the definition is worrying/consuming/mad about the future instead of enjoying the present. While I was “catching up” with my friend about what had been going on with me, I started speaking out loud all the thoughts and stories I had been thinking about for the last week and bam it hit me (this was my ah-ha moment) I was totally consumed by my thoughts and stories that I had created in my head~ It was clearly a trip to the future. While my friend appreciated me updating her on my life, she brought me up on my future travels, which is one of the many reasons I love her! While it’s totally easy and comfortable to get caught up in our own stories and future journeys about certain results we’d like to see in our business, finances, or relationships; Future travel can drain your energy, consume your thoughts, cloud your conscience, and could lead to a decrease in your level of daily productivity.
We are all guilty of stumbling in the future in one area of our life, be it relationships, business, or finances; However, if we can learn to reduce future stumbling blocks and increase life in the present moment, it has many benefits, including increasing your energy, productivity, and overall happiness!
Here are the top 5 tips to stay in the present moment and avoid stumbling in the future:
1. First, I want you to stop whatever you’re doing right now and take a breather and I mean really stop and take a breather. Take a moment, close your eyes, stop and breathe. So many of us are going, going, going throughout the day that we don’t take enough time to stop and breathe. I want you to know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be, so enjoy this moment! Try to honor yourself throughout the day by stopping every once in a while to take a breath.
2. Second, I want you to listen and experience everything that is happening around you. Take a moment to close your eyes and just listen and notice every sound around you. If you can’t close your eyes right now, I want you to really notice every little thing you’re currently doing, look around you, and even take in any smells. When you really start to notice what you’re doing, even if it’s doing the dishes, your entire focus is on the present moment and not on any past or future thoughts.
3. Next, I want you to just watch your thoughts. What are you currently thinking? Do not judge any of your thoughts; just watch what you are thinking. By simply noticing the thoughts and not judging them, your mental chatter will slowly decrease; and the less mental chatter you have, the more you will live in the moment that you will experience.
4. The fourth thing I want you to do is when you start to feel the fear of what may happen in the future and what has happened in the past. I want you to stop and let those thoughts go. This can be difficult at first, so to help you, I want you to ask yourself the following 2 questions: “Are my needs being met right now?” and “What can I be totally thankful for in my life?” These questions will help you refocus and change any negative thoughts or future stumbling blocks that may start to surface.
5. Finally, I want you to choose an affirmation that you will say to yourself silently or aloud throughout the day such as: “I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now”, “this moment is perfect” or whatever other. affirmation that will help you realize that right now this is exactly where you are supposed to be and that the Universe is supporting you in every way possible for your highest and greatest good.
While living in the present moment can sometimes be challenging, once you practice and put these 5 tips into action, you’ll create a new habit for yourself. Your thoughts, your life and your energy will improve dramatically!
