Maslow and Being Present

Maslow and Being Present

I was reading a little blurb/interview with Chip Conley, the CEO of Joie De Vivre Hotels

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/power-of-noble-experiments.html

and it sent me off looking for a lovely little quote from Abraham Maslow, the happy looking psychologist behind Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (aptly named).

“The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.”

Amen brother. It’s been on my list of New Year’s Resolutions for at least a decade now: Be Present.

I suck at it. This week I’m identifying my fancy productivity devices as part of the problem. Time is my most precious resource but I tend to treat it like it’s something I can get more of. “When I have a little time I will. . .” is the self talk that tends to roll through my brain.

Unfortunately, treating time like a resource isn’t what I should be doing. Treating it like a priority or something that needs to be prioritized is how I need to approach it. And that’s where my new battle against the devices will help. Calls get forwarded, email activity slides into time slots and I dedicate 30-45 minutes a week to slotting my time and appointments in order to focus on top priority activities instead of reacting to my addictive little “pings”.

That should make developing my joint venture coursework with my friend Drew a piece of cake.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Good stuff.