Stay Grounded

“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.” ~Unknown

Working remotely has been one of the biggest challenges that I have undertaken in my career. Naturally a team player, I have been thrust into ‘lone wolf’ territory. Lots of people have said to me I don’t know how you work from home saying that they lack the discipline and focus. These are two things I don’t have an issue with – my job is extremely motivating. I often think of Malcolm Gosling saying; “We work in the booze industry if it’s not fun what the hell are we doing” and it’s true.

However, the biggest challenge by far is harnessing my mind, it’s like a car that can be driving along at 70 mph heading to a destination in order to complete a task. But so often my ‘car’ (a.k.a. mind) wants to veer off to a path that will get me stuck in the bog.

My mind can be the most hardened criminal against my own happiness. It snatches joy right out of my hands. It confuses busy with important, urgent with significant, and difficulty with meaning.

My mind gives the future and the past too much space. It reminds me of what I have yet to accomplish. It wants to speed up time – it wanders over to what’s occurring in the office 2oo miles away, are they talking about what we are doing out on the road? I over complicate the instructions given – trying to read into a subtext that is not there.

The four things that reconnect me to the present:

• A glass of ice cold water with a slice of lemon – wakens up the body
• Head Space – the best app to calm anxiety in five minutes, Andy Puddicombe is a genius and you can listen anywhere!
• Music – classical, jazz or a quick five minute disco dance in the kitchen is powerful
• Fresh air – many times a day I have forced myself to walk between meetings across town despite the weather. Come rain, hail or shine the cobwebs are cleared, and en route there always seems to be something that  I see and reminds me to celebrate life. Bonus!

Which out of the four work best for you? Do you have a reconnection strategy to add?