change this situation without making it
worse?” If not, then see if you can find
the good in the situation. Shift your
focus to something else while you’re
waiting. This simple practice has saved
me from many regretful moments.
4|Find Your Flow and Eliminate Distractions
Finding your flow at times may be difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to eliminate
distractions. My mind wanders to worries, regrets or fears. My cell phone
rings. Notifications pop up on my
phone. I get sucked into Facebook. My
multi-tasking abilities start getting in my
way. I have good intentions to be truly
present, but my flow is interrupted. As
speakers and business owners, we have
dozens of tasks to accomplish on a daily
basis. But multi-tasking can drain us
faster and make us less efficient, not
more efficient. Although I am a recovering multi-tasker and still have relapses, I
have found that batching my tasks and
focusing on one task at a time has been a
game changer, making me more focused
and productive.
TIP: Try focusing on one thing at a
time. Let go of multi-tasking and focus
on a single task. Close all the tabs on
your computer. Change the notification
settings on your social media. Shut
down any other distractions and focus.
See if it makes a difference for you.
5|Practice Gratitude Grati- tude opens the door to peace. It
allows you to be truly present and
thankful for what you have right now
at this moment, not what you think you
want or need. It focuses less on stuff
and more on what fills our soul. It
makes you realize that you have
enough. It’s human nature to wish or
want better things. But a mindful person accepts things as they are and is
grateful no matter what they are facing.
Tip: Find something you are grateful
for every single day. Before falling
asleep, think about those moments you
are grateful for that day—not just the
big moments, but the little ones, too,
letting go of the irritations and annoyances of the day. Write them down, or
at least say them aloud.
6|Connect with Others: Don’t Just Talk, Listen
It’s said that connectedness is the heartbeat of life. In a device-driven world,
we have connection, but often it’s with
our phones. A key to being mindful is
learning to truly connect with others.
Speakers do this daily with their clients.
But we must continue to work at stay-
ing connected in meaningful ways with
everyone in our lives. Not online. Not
through a phone. A live conversation
where we smile and look people in the
eye. Listen to what they are saying.
Hear them.
TIP: When talking to someone at
your next speaking event, don’t think
about what you need to say next; focus
on what that person is saying. Enjoy
your time with that person. Truly be
present in your interactions and listen.
Pay attention to them, their words,
their body language, and give them
your full attention.
|Resign as General Manager of the Universe
Your time is valuable. Learn to say “no”
without guilt or explanation. This allows
you more time for the yes's that matter.
Set boundaries and keep them. We
can’t be all things to all people. I call
it “resigning as general manager of the
universe.” Learn to delegate more.
Eliminate things in life that drain your
energy. Be strategic in how you spend
your time, professionally and personally.
TIP: A high-quality life has a lot to do
with what you remove from your life.
Build a soulful community. Look at the
people who surround you in all areas of
your life. Surround yourself with roses
—people who offer encouragement and
build you up—and let go of the rest.
Resigning as general manager of the
universe frees up space and time for
you to truly be present and soak up life.
As a cancer and divorce survivor, as
well as a recovering attorney and political consultant, focusing on today and
being present has allowed me not just
to survive, but thrive.
Kim Becking is a change and resilience
expert, communications strategist and
leadership coach who helps her clients
communicate, connect and create
momentum in their business and life to
get results. Contact her at www.kim-becking.com or kim@becking.com.
