Be productive – live in the moment

As one who loves intense exercise, it came as a surprise to me that I also love yoga and meditation. It took me awhile to understand this. Both yoga and meditation teach you to be present in the moment and not think about the past or the future. This was easy to do with yoga since it is all I can do to stay balanced on one foot and not fall flat on my face, who has time or brain power to think of anything else?

I also try to apply living in the moment to other parts of my life. A few days ago, I took advantage of the gorgeous fall weather and took a hike. As I started my hike, I kept thinking about all the things I should have been doing, e.g. writing a marketing plan, promoting an upcoming event, making phone calls. I caught myself before long and thought: “all of those tasks will be waiting for me when I get back from my hike. There’s nothing I can do about them right now. I might as well relax and enjoy the hike.” I then took a deep breath and focused on the here and now.

I noticed the brilliant blue sky, how the sun filtered through the trees, the bright red maple leaves. I really, really enjoyed this hike.

I returned home, renewed and refreshed. That afternoon was one of my most productive; I was completely focused on my work.