Actively Choosing to Be Present

Being present.

Being present may seem like a more passive GSD attribute, but the reality is that being present involves a great deal of intentionality. Think about it. All of the sub-attributes in this section require constant consideration and adjustment of our perception. You cannot keep showing up; focusing on progress, not perfection; being present; or make pivot decisions if you are not consistently and intentionally thinking of doing all those things. 

The hardest part about consistently and intentionally being present by maintaining all four of these sub-attributes is the risk of falling into perfectionism. If you find that you lean on the side of perfectionism or you are a recovering perfectionist, here are some actionable steps you can take to be present without being a perfectionist. 

1. Keep showing up. Create a list of small, go-to steps that will ensure you keep showing up, which means being present, even if for a moment. It’s the art of doing something – anything, and trusting that process, even when there seem to be more pivots than plans. Your small steps can include things like a daily gratitude journal or a check-in with a workout partner. Whatever the steps are, they will be unique to your lifestyle and should be tailored to whatever you need to keep you in a state of awareness to keep showing up.
2. Extend yourself grace. This is more of an informal step, but it’s still important. Make sure you are reminding yourself that the focus is progress, not perfection, and that, therefore, you will mess up. You will make mistakes. The key is to accept wherever you are in your process so that it’s easier for you to commit to taking a step, any step, forward.
3. Celebrate your wins. As a recovering perfectionist, I now appreciate the fact that progress is good enough. Moving the needle, accomplishing one task, or doing one thing for ourselves should be celebrated. Take the time to do that. It can be as small as a verbal, “Good job” to yourself, or as big as throwing a party when you reach your goals. Whatever the accomplishment, acknowledge it and celebrate it. 

The commitment to being present requires a change in mindset, reminding us to be actively aware of tapes that are rolling our heads, and when our minds wander, we must reset, be it with meditation, music, or spoken word. 

Being present also means remembering the simplest of things – to breathe. I have a picture on my desk of two beautifully painted lungs that simply says, “Inhale, exhale.” Bring it back to your breath. It will bring clarity. It will slow down your heart rate. It will steady the emotions and nerves. 

Finally, being present requires an ever-present attitude of gratitude for progress and not perfection. It’s great to get all the things done, but this attribute allows you to be grateful and accepting of the times when you don’t. Take the Be Present assessment, which will provide prescriptive recommendations based on where you want to ignite presence in your life. Take the assessment now >>