March is upon us and there is so much information and news in the beginning of this year that it is easy to get distracted from our intentions for this year. It is too easy in todays’ world to get distracted from not only your long-term goals, but even the task at hand. Thanks in large part to tools such as computers and smart phones, new research suggests that the human attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to eight seconds as of 2015.
While the benefits of constant information are many, the cost of distraction comes with a heavy price. Perhaps the most costly though is missing the present moment. A good tool to rid of yourself of distraction is to ask yourself the question, “Am I a time traveler, or am I generous?” This question can help bring you present to the task at hand.
When you are distracted, you are a time traveler. Rather than being in the present, you are worrying about the future, or consumed with the past.
Do you ever find yourself thinking of your to-do list while working on another task? When you are speaking with someone in front of you, are you time traveling to a past issue, or time traveling to what you have to do in the afternoon?
Whenever you find yourself rushed, or distracted from the present moment, take a breath and ask yourself, “Am I being generous? Am I giving this moment in front of me my full attention? Am I giving my attention and awareness to the person in front of me with the respect and dignity that they deserve?” This one simple question can help anchor you in the present and keep you from being a time traveler.
When we miss the present moment, we miss the opportunity to build a personal legacy with those we are close to. If we are not present to our current task, we spend too much envisioning or worrying about the future, miss the present, and then long for the past that we missed. Being appropriately engaged, being generous with your time and attention to the people and tasks at hand is given meaning from the past and helps create the future.
We all desire to build some sort of legacy, whether monetary, or one of rich connection with friends and family. Like good financial planning, legacy is built by attending to the present. Yes, we are informed by our past, and we have an eye to the future, but we all must do the work of being present in the now. Tools such as asking, “Am I being generous?” as well as financial strategies that address future risk while providing for the current now, can anchor us in the present and allow us to create legacies worth having.
If you have questions regarding your current financial strategy or questions regarding the legacy you want to leave, please reach out to us.