“I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.” – Albert Einstein

Have you seen all the Albert Einstein quotes lately?  I’m not sure who started sharing them on Facebook, but now I cannot get enough.  Could it really be possible to not think about the future?  And if we didn’t, would we be so much more present and focused in the moment that we’d actually be more productive?

In the grand scheme of things, we are always doing something to prepare for the future, right?  “I must beat this deadline so my boss can review the report before we meet with the board next week.”  Or, “These offer letters must be done today so the candidate has everything they need to start in orientation on Monday.”  And yes, “I need to pick up all my voicemails and clear out my inbox so my colleagues are up to date before I leave on vacation.”  You will never avoid preparing for the future.  But here are a few ideas for being present when you are tackling your day, and not getting frazzled by the looming future.

1. Slow Down – especially in the morning. If you are quick to check email, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, you have already started the day on overload.  Sometimes, you cannot refocus because you are thinking about all those updates and what you need to get done.  Try to set designated time to “check in” on social media, but if you save it until the end of the day, you may actually relax and enjoy scrolling through the updates.

2. Make Yourself a Priority – this is so hard. You know best what needs to get done and in which order.  If someone interrupts you with a request, learn to say no, or at least, “let me finish a couple items on my list and I will get back to you.”  Read this great article I just read about saying no and Tom Hanks.  It is so true – we can always say yes, but if we do it too often, we are ultimately saying no to things we truly need to do.

3. Schedule Breaks – easy to do, tricky to follow through. Taking a couple time outs in your day (a quick walk or chat with a coworker) allows you to step back from (hopefully) what you were supposed to be working on, but if you got sucked into another topic, you can stop, refocus, and get back on task.  Set up a few times every day for a break, and it will become routine.

If you find that none of these tips help, or maybe your current position is never going to allow you to focus on what really is important, reach out to Purple Ink. We’d love to help you find your strengths and a job that fits.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if you were so focused at work, you found the future just came…before you even had time to worry about it?