MOVE: June 6, 2014

Catching the Wave of the "Here and Now"

Spoiler Summary: Operating "in the present" is not easy for everyone - but it might be one of the keys to unlocking your best work.

I'm not a surfer.....but I'm thinking maybe I should be.  Can you picture it? No? OK, me either. The idea of waiting patiently for a good wave (or patiently for anything), is a little cross-grain for me and would be a real challenge - I might just be the most uptight surfer on the planet.  Is that even allowed?

By nature, like many people, I tend to be a planner....a futurist.....someone who is always looking outward toward the next hurdle or future goal and putting time and effort into planning the steps needed to get there.  This of course is not entirely a bad thing....putting the time into understanding what the best next-steps are and steadily working to improve, develop new strengths and get over/around/through the barriers that stand in our way vastly increases our odds of long term success.  However, in a world of multitasking and 24-hour connectedness, where the threads of the storyline (family, career, hobby, etc) are so tightly woven that they often seem merged, the futurist runs a very real risk of never quite executing at their highest potential; they struggle to commit fully to any one project or task, they struggle to be fully in the moment because some energy (especially mental energy), however small the amount, is usually committed somewhere else.

Perhaps not ironically, this past week when I was looking into (a true planner) how to squeeze a little more performance out of myself as I prep for a big race that's quickly approaching, I ran into a bunch of research and information from the world of sports psychology that talked about one of my favorite topics - being "in the zone"....or in "flow" as it's sometimes referred.  Case after case of people achieving what seemed beyond their potential. The trick? Almost always it had to do with letting go and operating completely in the present.....diving into the moment so fully that time passes without even a thought. There were many surfing examples....but luckily for me there were examples from every domain: sport, art, work, life, etc. that demonstrated the flow pattern: challenge, then struggle, followed by letting-go, followed by entry into "the zone".

I fondly remember an experience with this. Although completely unintentional, it started with me getting off the plane at my sister-in-law's wedding (Hawaii) several years ago and being greeted by her (now) husband's family who lived locally there.  I had never met them before, but they laid an enormous bear-hug on me.  Talk about your challenge & struggle. My wife and I still laugh about it sometimes - because I was the ultimate stiff/uptight east-coast guy and here were these totally relaxed islanders welcoming me like some kind of long-lost brother.  I'm not a huge "hugger" to begin with.... but after the first 2 days there and no agenda, I just sort of let-go.  By the end of the week I had stopped wearing my watch (there was no point) and I found myself taking in the world around me a little more, not at all worried about time, but being genuinely in the moment; listening to the stories and experiencing the culture - it was awesome. Not only relaxing, but fulfilling. As I boarded the plane back to the mainland I gave them each a huge hug....like we'd known each other forever.

This week, I re-committed to practicing it.  As funny as it sounds - I actually included "letting go" in my training plan.... The struggle part is no problem for me - the nature of my sport comes with plenty of struggle - but actively letting-go will take effort.  I tried it yesterday during my swim workout.....working to find a steady pattern and focusing on the feel of water once I was into the workout.  Instead of focusing on my mechanics, I focused on my breathing and the feel of the water.  For about 20 minutes of the hour-long workout I had it.  The time flew, the effort seemed easier than usual and my pace was steady, but that was about the max of my concentration....far more work to do.  The key however was that I was able to achieve the same level of performance with a feeling of far less exertion.  I didn't feel taxed after the workout....I was tired....but in a good way, refreshed.

I found myself wondering if I could apply this same focus to other areas - parenting, work, being a colleague and friend.  I found myself wondering if, after planning it in and working at it for a while, I might get good at it; if it would come more automatically like habits do.  Let me know if you want to try the experiment too - it'd be great to have company on this leg of the journey.

Stay tuned....or even better yet - don't.....pop-up and try the ride.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.