When your to-do list is too long, how do you dare try to be more mindful? Or more in the moment? It’s the “more” part that catches me every time. Because I don’t need MORE things to do. I need less. A lot less!
But research shows that if you’re able to focus on the things in front of you, what you’re working on and doing right now, that you’ll be happier with all of your efforts as well has more energetic. I hate to say it but this sounds like it’s a good thing to be more in the present moment and mindful (there’s that dreaded “more” word again).
So how can you be more in the present moment and more mindful without adding yoga, meditation and a whole host of other guru-based activities to your already long to-do list?
I’ve come up with a way of doing this where I don’t add anything to my to plate of chores and I’m able to be more in the present moment. This means I’m enjoying life more and feeling more fulfilled by it.
How?
I take the things I’m already doing and do them in a different order. So for example, when I’m eating breakfast, I just eat breakfast. I don’t take my plate and go eat in front of my computer or grab my phone and scroll Facebook. Who wants to come back to cold eggs? I take the time to eat all that’s on my place at once. Then, I go do all the other things that are next on my to-do list.
This keeps the run-around feeling to a minimum. It’s also more efficient because if you have to keep coming back to a task, you waste time pulling yourself away from it and re-engaging with it. If you’re anything like me, if you don’t complete the task at once it keeps crossing your mind over and over until you do complete it. That’s the worst!
Look at the things you do every day and see if you can practice doing them in a streamlined way.
How do you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner? How do you fold laundry? How do you write your blog posts? How do you prep for your day ahead?
Here’s a hint. If you feel like you’re overwhelmed from all of the multi-tasking, life might be easier and more enjoyable if you can find ways to begin and end one task at a time.
If you haven’t tried this yet, start with something small like brushing your teeth. Don’t try to read your emails on your smartphone while you’re brushing for two minutes. Stick only with brushing.
If you feel annoyed or bored with this, go deeper into your thoughts about brushing your teeth. How does it feel to scrub your teeth? What do the bristles feel like on your gums or tongue? How does your face look in the mirror while you’re brushing? It’s okay to fall into deep thoughts or to be silly with this. The idea is that your only focused on this one task.
Then you can try this approach on bigger things like writing a client email. Even if writing that message makes you think of ten other things you need to do or look up online, come back to that email until it’s done. Notice ~how it feels~ to not get lost down a rabbit hole of distractions when you focus on doing only one thing at a time.
This approach allows you to really live in the moment and focus on the “one” thing you’re doing right now, all without doing more of anything. Let me know in the comments how this approach makes you feel and if you think it might help you enjoy life better instead of taking on “more.”
With much love and gratitude,
Speak Your Mind