present

Most if not all of us start our day by planning for it. We are aware of the tasks that are needed to be done and we go ahead to allocate time to them. The most important tasks get high priority and are given more time than the least important.

Let’s take a look at John and how he begins his day. John wakes up at 6am and heads into the shower. As he freshens up, he actively plans his day in his mind. He needs to be at the office by 9am, submit a work proposal by 1pm which he’s to finish before the lunch date with his wife at noon. In the afternoon he has more work till 5pm when he gets off work.

John is very punctual, he settles in the office ten minutes to 9 and pulls out the files he is to work on. About five minute in, he remembered that he hadn’t checked his email yet. There is a new monitor he ordered and he can’t wait for it to arrive. He checks, sees that it will arrive in the afternoon, smiles and goes back to work. 

Just when he was getting into the groove, his phone buzzed up. It’s Eli, his best friend. John picks it up from the desk and opens the message, it’s a meme. 

They say that laughter is medicine for the soul, he’s starting his day on a good high right? He decides to send one of his own and then excuses himself. It’s now half past 9 O’clock. 

‘There’s still time! Even for an espresso,’ he convinces himself.

One thing leads to another and the coffee is ready in 15 minutes, it’s now 9:45. John settles down, puts his phone away and gets to work. By the time he’s looking up, it’s half past 11, he’s only halfway through.

It’s too late to rain check with his wife, so he decides to carry his files with him to the restaurant.

What will happen when his wife arrives and he keeps checking his files throughout lunch? Will she feel neglected? Unimportant? Disappointed. Yes, yes and yes.

For the longest time possible I used to be like John. Getting easily distracted, never quite finishing the things I was to on time and having them spill over to time I had allocated to myself and my loved ones. 

What resulted was that whenever I was with them, I kept thinking about that one task I was to do and my eyes kept looking at the clock. I ended up losing a few friends who thought I saw them as unimportant as I was never truly present.

That was until I stumbled upon a Mindvalley MasterClass on Focus by Nir Eya.  A program that seeks to help those who struggle with procrastination and distractions that lead to one not being fully present.

So,what exactly does it mean to not be ‘fully present?’ 

Being easily distracted as you do a task resulting in being inefficient and using up more time. It also could be that your mind wanders whenever you’re with a loved one and they can tell you’re not paying attention to them.

Let’s dive in deeper and find out how we can use manifestation to be fully present and curb all these. 

How to use manifestation to become fully present. 

1. Acknowledge that you get distracted and then master your internal triggers.

The first step is to accept it. Accept that you do get distracted and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. There are a lot of things that call for our attention on a daily basis. In fact a recent study revealed that 83% of Americans feel overwhelmed by all these distractions.

The next step is to identify the internal triggers that cause us to lose focus. In each awake moment, our brains are busy processing information and thoughts. Internal triggers come to us as ulterior thoughts and feelings. E.g John’s sudden urge to get coffee right in the middle of writing a proposal, zoning out and thinking about other things etc.

Once you are able to identify them, you become aware of when they occur and your mind automatically redirects your thoughts away from them and back to what you were doing.

2. Identify the external triggers

External triggers are things in our direct environment that call for our attention. This may be your social media notifications, loud music or even noise. Sometimes your loved ones can serve as a distraction. Say you’re working from home and a friend pops up unannounced. Chances are you’ll be forced to get off work to keep them company.

How can you prevent this from occurring again? By setting clear boundaries with the people around you. When you’re working they should not disturb you unless it’s a life and death situation.

For noise distractions, you could find someplace quiet to work and for social media, you could turn off all the notifications right before you start working.

3. Prevent distraction with pacts.

A pact can be termed as an agreement. For this case the agreement is between yourself. You promise to spend X amount of time doing task A without getting distracted. When you succeed, you reward yourself.

This is not just for work but can also be used in your personal time. Set time aside for some cozy moments with your wife and organize play dates with your children. Be actively present by being aware of your surroundings, and focusing on the ones you’re with for the time you are together. Afterwards you could reward yourself with a bar of chocolate or a luxurious long bath.

4. Making time for tractions

Traction refers to the time you plan to waste. The wheels in your brain are probably turning asking Huh, aren’t we supposed to not waste time? But let’s be honest, we can’t spend all 24 hours of the day being productive. We need regular breaks to re-energise and come back stronger. 

Tractions can include an afternoon nap, bingeing a netflix series or gaming with friends. You just have to intentionally plan for it. 

As Libran John Lennon noted,

“Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time.”

Last but not least, set aside some time to meditate. You could do this while sitted the floor or even as you take a walk. 

Benefits of being fully present.

• You are able to learn more. Being more present enables you to absorb more information as your mind is 100% focused on the task at hand.

• Improved Efficiency. You’ll be able to finish work quickly while doing it well. Therefore you have extra time for traction and to enjoy the good things in life. You know what they say, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl. 

• Reduces Anxiety. This occurs when you are able to avoid unnecessary pressures and anxieties of trying to meet deadlines. You will have peace of mind knowing that you have finished the tasks with even less time than your colleagues. 

• Improves your relationships. It’s no secret that everyone has the desire to be heard. We all want to feel that we matter and by giving someone your 100% attention, you bring out this desire in them. They in turn feel closer to you and trust you more. This improves the quality of your relationship with them.

Happy manifesting!