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Are you Paying Attention? Why Being Present in the Moment Really Matters

By Joey Havens

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Recently, a team member shared a funny story with me that also has a great life lesson for us.  

She had recently celebrated her birthday and took some PTO that week to enjoy her love of fishing off the Gulf Coast.  Sounds like a great plan to me.  Since fishing is her favorite hobby, she was extremely excited about getting out on the water.  As they were preparing to head out for a beautiful day, they stopped at the marina to fill up the boat with gas.  The young man at the marina came out and started filling up the boat, literally.  Thirty gallons later, he noticed that he had put the hose in the rod holder not the gas tank and now, all of the fuel was in and on her boat.  What a mess! Cleaning a boat up after an accident like this is not easy.  Instead of a dream trip, her week now consisted of working with the marina to get her boat back in working order.  When they asked the young man, “How could you do that?” his answer was simply, “I wasn’t paying attention.” 

A funny story that certainly wasn’t funny at the time for her or the young attendant.  But, a great life lesson for us—being present in the moment really matters. 

How often are we guilty of simply not paying attention? What do those mistakes cost us?

Thanks to some recent feedback, one of the things that I am working on is to be intentional with my focus. My biggest opportunity for growth is to be present in the moment in all of my interactions.  I need to #beEvenBetter!  I certainly don’t want to have a day like that young attendant. 

Being mindful will help you be more productive, achieve your goals and enjoy life more. Let’s stay focused and minimize our mistakes.  Let’s be present and enjoy life to the fullest.