I love to live in the moment, but it can be so easy to let the future or the outside noise hijack the ‘right now.’
This happens after a long beach walk, when I sit down with my favorite fruit bowl of raspberries and blueberries, and then start thinking about ‘what’s next,’ or I enable the floodgate of digital messages to steal the real-time enjoyment.
Or, after a full day of productivity, when joining my husband for a good movie, I begin aimlessly scrolling Facebook or Instagram to see what my ‘friends’ are up to.
While melding downtime with digital ambling can be beneficial at times, pouring too much into relaxing moments can be detrimental, the antithesis of rest and rejuvenation.
When I was a young girl, and even as a young woman, meal time, movie time and stargazing moments provided a soft bed of solace on which to place my head for emotional and intellectual rest. When I arose again, the interactive tasks could be addressed from a fresh perspective versus creating a never-ending continuum of energy drain.
Alongside my desire to live in the moment is a passionate desire to continue achieving. Today’s to-do list matters in achieving short- and long-term initiatives, so it is important to meld the restful moments with a momentum that spurs me into productivity.
Leveraging the newly spun peace mobilizes me toward goal-fueling tasks: building + checking off list items; communicating with clients; crafting business-marketing content; authoring client career stories; paving new product and revenue paths; collaborating with my colleagues; reading and learning; and so much more. After all, there is contentment in achievement.
It’s about identifying priorities and disciplining the schedule around those priorities. It’s also about simplifying the priorities–letting the non-priority natter wash away from my shore of vision, so that the discipline of prioritizing is exhilarating more so than it is hard work, and rarely a drudgery.
It’s a lifestyle within your reach, too. It’s about being a good boss to yourself versus a dictator. And, leaving wiggle room for the unexpected detours in life: illness, car trouble, family emergency. Either way, you don’t pack a schedule so heavy that there is no flexibility to adjust your sails.
Finally, it’s about being true to your goals, amid both foggy and sunny days. Maintain the momentum – don’t let others’ dim your hope. Be strategic; execute the small steps along the way. Keep striving forward.
While obsessively protecting downtime for sunrises and sunsets. To imbibe, to refuel, to exhilarate your mind, body and soul!
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My name is Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter. I write custom prose and poetry that express your feelings. Whether struggling with grief, or celebrating love, I weave illustrative stories buoyed by hope and joy.
Inspiring my poetry is my full-time job and boutique business as a career storyteller. C-suite execs hire me to convert their jumble of thoughts + words into clarity–to cultivate their personal brands to invigorate entrepreneurial ventures and propel career storytelling goals.
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