Stop Hurrying! Live and Enjoy The Present Moment
Are you getting a sense of deep satisfaction and enjoyment from what you are doing right this very moment?
Many of us, myself included, whiz through the day barely taking notice of what we are doing.
We fail to be present in the moment. We just hurry through our mental or written to-do list until it is time to quit for the day.
The days go by. The weeks go by. The months go by and before we know it, we have hurried another year of our life away. I think this is a terrible way to live.
I struggle with living in and enjoying the moment
Okay, there I’ve admitted it. I have a problem being present in the moment and truly drinking in the satisfaction it has to offer.
My mind is usually preoccupied with what’s next. I’m already pressing myself to get to the next thing or I’m worried and feeling guilty about how I’m wasting time not getting to the next thing.
I often feel the thing I’m doing now is encroaching on the time I need to get the next thing done. I’m usually in a hurry and sometimes it really is for no reason.
Rushing for me is a habit. I’m also addicted to efficiency. Is it apparent yet that I want to get things done? Again, it is so I can get to whatever is next. I have to meet the demands of home, work, blogging, children and whatever else I can conjure up.
I can feel it right now. I want to hurry up and finish this article. I need to get it done so, I can get it published, so it will be ready for the artificial deadline I’ve set in my mind and so I can move on to get other things done.
Are you feeling it? Do you want to hurry up and get to the point of this article so you can move on to the next thing?
Hurriedness is a disease that robs us of enjoyment in life
Is this a disease?!? I’m pretty sure it is at least for me.
Wiktionary defines disease as:
An abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort or dysfunction; distinct from injury insofar as the latter is usually instantaneously acquired.
I’d say that my hurriedness and efficiency are abnormal. This is not how we were intended to live. It is dysfunctional. It does not lead to the best life possible.
Hurrying and being ultra-efficient are often enemies to true enjoyment in life. It creates stress and anxiety which are detrimental to my physical health.
I’d classify hurriedness as a cancer of life itself. It is a disease that eats away at my life from the inside. It destroys all that I’ve worked so hard to achieve because it steals the enjoyment and satisfaction from it.
I realize that hurrying through life is the wrong way to live
I’ve really began to see that I hurry too often. I just do not take the time to savor what I’m doing. I’m convinced that this is very detrimental to living life to the fullest.
As an example, I love to write, but I usually fail to take the time to delight in it.
We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.
~ Anais Nin
I pressure myself to get it done instead of relishing in the process. Why?!?
The crazy thing is that I do this to myself. No one else is responsible for it. I push myself to the point where I drain most of the enjoyment from everything!
Hurrying leaves me feeling empty and unfulfilled. I get to the end of the day and I’m just tired and stressed instead of satisfied for a job well done.
How I’ve decided to enjoy the present moment
I am beginning to understand that it is in these tiny moments that we truly milk the honey out of life.
Kiss your life.
Accept it, just as it is.
Today.
Now.
So that those moments of happiness
you’re waiting for don’t pass you by.
~Philip Bosman
Here is some of what I’m going to do to make sure the happiness in my life doesn’t pass me by.
- Slow down and be present in the moment
- Stop waiting for that one big success to come along to be happy
- Practice gratefulness for the small things that make life fun
- Focus my attention on things I enjoy doing
- Stop multi-tasking so often
- Really listen to people and engage them in conversation
Will this work? I honestly don’t know. I’ve been the way I am for so long, it is going to be a struggle, but I’ve committed myself to living more consciously and with less hurry.
What practical suggestions would you offer to help me?
Photo by nattu
I’ve been quite in a hurry all these times. Running many projects, personal and work.
Thanks for the message. I may not apply it as soon as possible though. In a way, finding how I can balance the pursuit of my goal with the enjoyment of the present moment..
Maybe I should say, there is a season to run and a season to slow down. What do you think?
Robert
Read Robert A. Henru´s latest article – The Curriculum of Life
It’s great to see that this kind of message is becoming mroe and more mainstream.
Great post Jeff, I really enjoyed it!
Cheers,
Glen
Read Glen Allsopp´s latest article – The ‘Just Be Yourself’ Cliche
@Robert – Life certainly has its demands and I understand that. However, it is easy to get caught up in pursuing a goal all the while missing out on the happiness you are so eagerly after.
It is like all the movies where the main character is after their dream person ignoring the fact that their true love is right under their nose.
@Glen – It does seem that people are starting to realize that this lifestyle we’ve built for ourselves isn’t working. It is better to slow down and enjoy life. After all, we only go around once!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments!
Hiya
great post and i feel its message is increasingly important in this hectic power-of-information world we enjoy.
In my experience relaxing deeply and reminding myself i can be simple and survive was a huge step in building a balanced relationship between ‘busyness’ and the present moment.
thanks
Jens
Read Jens Upton´s latest article – Using your Mind-Body Skills for Improved Sports Training
Man, can I relate to this post. You’re describing me to a tee!
I’m a computer programmer so everything I do has to be as small as possible, fast as possible, easy as possible, and cheap as possible. As soon as one thing’s done I’m quickly onto the next and there’s always pressure to get it done faster, faster, faster.
At some point I realized that life is composed of a series of moments. I also realized that I was giving up each moment in anticipation of the next. When the next moment would arrive I would then miss that one too as I was thinking of the moment after that.
I now catch myself and try to be present as much as I can. I’ve found that I’m much more relaxed.
I have a small piece of paper in my wallet with the following written down:
I am genuinely happy and enjoy life. I feel relaxed at any time and enjoy the current moment.
Reading those two sentences helps snap me back to this moment and realize just how much tension I feel when I’m hurrying to get something done quickly.
Great post Jeff!
Read Gwynn (Serene Journey)´s latest article – Love Is A Verb
@Jens – I really like the way you see it. Yes, it is possible to be simple and survive. I think most people have completely lost sight of this. Nice insight!
@Gwynn – We are in the same boat. It is good to know that I’m not the only one that struggles with this. The reminder you have in your wallet is a fantastic idea. I have to constantly jar myself back to reality and still I falter, but I’ll continue trying!
Thanks for adding your experiences!
I also have a tough time with this. My wife is convinced I am ADD, so I always feel the need to be doing something. But I’m learning in order to maintain a healthy and balanced life, I have to slow down and take time to refresh and recharge.
Read Grant Baldwin´s latest article – In Case You’re Bored This Weekend…Episode 7
Hey Jeff, thanks for sharing more of your thought. Makes me thinking of what actually I have and I can be thankful of that… “the happiness is right under our nose”.. thanks!
Robert
Read Robert A. Henru´s latest article – The Curriculum of Life
I definitely second the idea of being present. We often miss the now when we are stricken by guilt about the past or worry over the future. The only way to effect the future is to take care of our present moment.
Read Evelyn Lim´s latest article – How To Ground Yourself In 7 Ways
The “tyranny of the urgent” will eventually wear you out. I had a friend that told me one time that no one remembers how fast you accomplished something, but how well.
Read Ron@TheWisdomJournal´s latest article – 10 Places You Don’t Need A Good Credit Score
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I read a book called “The Power of Less.” The one thought that I took away from the book was to live in the moment. Pay attention to what you are doing right now.