As a business owner, you may frequently find yourself in one of two places that aren't supporting you or your business. These two places can leave you feeling stuck, afraid and exhausted. The first place is the past. For example, when you think about taking action with your marketing, and you recall that promotion you tried last year that didn't work.
Or you remember that one person who never responded to your email even though you had such a good connection and conversation. And that might snowball into thinking that nothing works, and then you don’t take any action, leaving you feeling paralysed in fear.
The other place is the future. Spending time and energy worrying about what will (or won't) happen. Will you be able to find and reach enough of your ideal clients? Is this latest website revamp going to be a game-changer? Once you reach X amount of followers on X platform will you finally have made it? There is a place that is much better than the past or the future - the present.
Spending time in the past or the future of your business is living in your fearful imagination. Your imagination has better things to do than keep you scared. Why not use your imagination to create something beautiful and inspiring? Use your imagination to market your business in a way that is creative and fun.
There's also a strong possibility that when you are not present you may overlook important signs that could guide you in your business. This can cause you to miss remarkable ideas that are right in front of you. And finally, if you're not present as you work with your clients, you are not serving them to the best of your ability.
The best place to be in your business (and in life) is in the present moment. "Now" is where everything happens. Because if you're not fully experiencing the present moment, you will miss it.
So how do you stay in the present moment, in the now?
The best resource I know of is Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now. It's an intense and comprehensive read. If you want a more practical way to access this material, I highly recommend his book, Practising the Power of Now.
Here are five ways you can become more present in your business.
In the book, Tolle suggests that you ask yourself this question frequently, "What's going on inside of me at this moment?" He goes on to say, "That question will point you in the right direction. But don't analyse, just watch. Focus your attention within."
Like anything, awareness is the first step. Start noticing when you're in the past or the future.
"The moment you realise you are not present, you are present." ~Eckhart Tolle
Tolle talks about how the mind allows problems to get the best of us and that, when we are present, and our attention is fully in the now, we can address any situation. He says, "A situation needs to be either dealt with or accepted. Why make it into a problem?"
When you're present, you will have more clarity, so it's easier to see the right course of action.
If you're not sure if you are fully present at any given moment, Tolle suggests you ask yourself this question, "Is there joy, ease and lightness in what I am doing?" If the answer is no, you've left the "Now". It's also interesting to notice where you go when you leave the present, is it more often the past or the future?
It's fine to have goals for your business. Being in the now doesn't mean you never plan anything for the future. It is possible to be fully present, in the moment, as you make future plans. It's also possible to be in the "Now" as you do the work that will help you reach your destination.
Another way to get back to the present moment is to focus your attention on your breathing. Tolle suggests this: "Feel the air flowing in and out of your body." This awareness of your breathing takes you into the now. It almost seems too simple to be true and sometimes it is the most basic things that can have such a tremendous impact.
I hope you're starting to see how powerful the present is for your business. There is more joy, calm, and clarity when you stay in the now.
What do you do to stay in the now? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!