I was talking to a friend the other day about a project she was working on.

I listened for a few minutes, then for no particular reason I started thinking about what I needed to do that night. It was only for a minute or two and she didn’t seem to notice, but I had. I knew how important this project was to her and I should have been listening more attentively.

This is a situation we have likely all been in. We know the importance of being present, giving the person or the activity in front of us our complete attention. We also know that with this attention our work and our relationships will thrive.

At the same time, many of us have found ourselves in mid-conversation, listening to a friend or colleague, and have suddenly realized our mind has drifted elsewhere.

The same could be said about driving. How many of us have driven home from work and wondered how we got there? Body and habit took us there; but our mind was largely absent in the process.

I know these things have happened to me. It is also something I am trying to correct. 

For a few years now I have worked on developing the habit of noticing and trying to be more present.  

In my personal and professional life, I see the benefits of this practice. I’m less in my mind, replaying conversations over and over or incessantly planning the future.  I am calmer, more patient, and more attentive in conversations. I have greater attention to detail in my work.

I know I will never perfectly execute the idea of being present. But, making an intention to notice where my mind is as I move through the day does improve my work and my interactions with others.

I also find that the more I make this habit of noticing an intention, the quicker I can catch myself lost in distracted, unproductive thought, and refocus to the task at hand.

As a bit of a challenge today, I encourage you to try to notice where your mind is as you move through the day. Then, as often as you can, come back to the present.

In the short-term, it is a great self-awareness strategy. You might be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised at what you find.

In the long-term, your work performance and relationships will improve. They can’t help but improve, with greater attention and focus.

I invite you to give it a try today and see what you find.