Living Tomorrow Mindfully

The problem of constant employment

Constant employment now worries many. On the one hand, it has become a symbol of energy and success (although in fact it has nothing to do with it), and on the other, an indicator of the inability to properly organize one's time.

Fields sees our constant workload as a symptom of a bigger problem.

The very fact of being busy is neither good nor bad. We need to consider what exactly we are doing and why, as well as what we had to give up in the process.

If being busy is a reaction to other people's problems, to whatever they impose on us, then this is really bad. Because of this, we find ourselves in a state of autopilot as life rushes by us. We cannot stop and live in the present moment, do what brings us joy and fills our life with meaning. In the end, it turns out that we are busy for no reason and this makes us feel frustrated and empty.

But if we are busy because it is in line with our own goals, then there is nothing wrong with that. If our days, weeks and months are filled with a stream of impressions and actions that inspire us; if we are doing what is really important to us; spending time with people we value; if we develop and use our strengths to help others, then we build a life of meaning, joy and energy. Are we loaded into the process? Of course! But being so busy gives us a feeling of fullness, not emptying.

How life begins on autopilot

This usually happens gradually, unnoticed by us. One day we wake up and realize that our life does not belong to us.

Think about it. Did you decide this once: "In the morning I will, without getting out of bed, check my mail and answer all messages"? Have you ever said to yourself: "I will immediately respond to all incoming emails, comment on every task given to me and every status update on Facebook?"

Unlikely. You just started doing it, and soon it became a habit. And so little by little, doing seemingly completely harmless things, you begin to live unconsciously, on autopilot.

There is an alternative

We must break out of the vicious circle of unconscious actions and regain our ability to choose. We must tell ourselves:

I can choose myself. My time and my life are mine. The plans, statements and desires of other people do not decide how I will distribute my attention, my talents, my energy and love.

It's okay if we want our days to be filled with many things to do and communication with people. The main thing is to feel that our life is filled with meaning, and to make a choice consciously.

First, acknowledge that you are experiencing this problem. Second, start practicing mindfulness daily, even while doing some daily activities. Just focus on the present moment, feel what surrounds you. Repeat this several times throughout the day, and gradually you will get used to perceive the world around you more consciously.

What a deliberately lived day looks like

Everything here is completely individual. Here's an example of one day from Jonathan Fields.

You woke up and take your time to pick up the phone. You don't go to email or social media. Do not check messages. You stay in bed with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest, closing your eyes, and listening to your breathing. Notice how you feel, what your mood is. Don't try to change anything. Just pay attention to this and imagine how it will affect your day.

Get out of bed slowly and find a comfortable place where you can just sit. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing again. Spend 3 to 30 minutes doing this. Finally, define your main goal for the day ahead. Write down one of the most important things you are about to do.

Then you go to the kitchen and make tea or coffee. While the drink is infusing, take a minute to communicate with people who are important to you. For example, write to a friend, "I just remembered you, have a nice day."

As you sit with a cup of tea or coffee, remember that the next few hours are the most creative time, which is best spent on the most important or difficult work. But at the same time, we need to get rid of the desire to check messages and social networks, so as not to be distracted by this later. Spend no more than five minutes answering only urgent messages.

Remember this is your day and don't let others take all of your time. Then you can get to work.

After a few hours, take a short break to warm up (10-15 minutes is enough), and then have lunch. After lunch, you will feel great, because you have already done the most important thing in the morning. Now you can do other things like meetings and talking to clients. Also set aside time to reply to the backlog of messages, but no more than 30 minutes, and start again with the most important ones.

In the late afternoon, set aside 40 minutes for a workout, and then read or just relax, spend time before dinner with family or friends.

After dinner, you can get creative or finish important things. Spend the rest of the evening relaxing. For example, write down how your day went, what you learned, what you expect from tomorrow. Or just read or watch a movie.

Of course, this all sounds a little utopian. But this is just a plan. The main thing is to adapt it to your own daily routine, regularly find ways to return to the present moment and focus our attention and our actions on what energizes us.