In my last post I explained my perspective on what it means to be ‘present’, essentially not being absent. And I discussed how this is one of the quickest ways to influence. But how do you become a master at being present? How do you ensure that:

• you’re NOT distracted?
• you’re NOT checked out?
• you’re NOT half-engaged?
• you’re NOT half playing at half speed? and
• you’re NOT only half interested?

Well one of the ways is definitely to practice, particularly during every interaction you engage in (as mentioned previously). Another alternative is to check in with your emotions. There is a famous quote from Lau Tzu that has always resonated with me when I’ve questioned myself on whether I’m truly being present:

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.  If you are anxious you are living in the future.  If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

Essentially for me what I’ve realised is that when I have a lot of inner dialogue – you know that private voice that only you can hear (and if you just thought ‘What voice I don’t have a private voice!’ Then that’s the voice I’m talking about!) – it’s usually ruminating about something that has happened (in the past, even if it was only 5 minutes ago) or is worrying about something that could or may happen (in the future).

And so when I feel those emotions of rumination (depression) or worry (anxiety) then I know I’m not being present.

In his book “The Power of Now“, Eckhart Tolle advocates not focusing on the past or the future but rather living in the present and separating yourself from the over-thinking mind (or inner voice) in order to improve your life.

He makes several suggestions on how to do this, like focusing on your body, observing your thoughts without judgment (to create separation from them) and trying to exist in a permanent state of alertness (rather than on autopilot).

On my high performance journey, I’ve found that by setting a regular ‘alarm’ on my phone throughout the day (there are a number of apps that do this which aren’t intrusive), it’s a good way to remind myself to be present. I try to do this in a number of ways, depending on the situation, like feeling my feet on the ground, deep breathing, quieting my inner chatter etc.

Tolle is very clear that by focusing only on the present – and ignoring the past or future – you can greatly improve your life. I certainly believe that by mastering your presence, achieving high performance* becomes easier!

* High Performance is the result of heightened and sustained levels of: clarity, energy, courage, productivity and influence. www.highperformanceinstitute.com

How present and vibrant do you feel on a day-to-day basis? What causes you to be distracted or check-out? What actions are you taking to stay present and be fully engaged in the moment?

Take the High Performance Quiz to find out more.