Presence is the thing we’re aiming for but it’s not just presence.

Presence is the thing we’re aiming for but it’s not just presence.

It’s presence while successfully navigating our way through life.

That’s what leads to the pull in opposite directions.

Like. I’m going to be present and enjoy breakfast with my family…

But I know there are some email or slack messages that if I give some attention I’ll allow someone to move on with what they’re doing.

Or. I’m trying to focus on my work but someone has just asked for 5 minutes of my time that will allow them to solve a problem.

So we bust our arses trying to master presence or resist distraction and it’s rare that it works.

What we really need is a predictable and repeatable process for success. Not just in those areas but in every area.

The true distraction, what really pulls us out of the present is the fear that if we don’t do that other thing we won’t get the success.

So we tell ourselves. This time I’ll allow the distraction but only so that I can be present later.

We defer the life we want until tomorrow and the every time we do our brain learns that this is the success formula.

We build evidence that allowing distraction is the path to success. Of course we often KNOW it isn’t but our brain responses to evidence. It’s actual experience. Not knowledge.

That’s why how we eat and how we think we should eat are different. The brain and the mind have two different paths to success.

Creating predictable and repeat processes for success is how we align those paths.

We have to meet both the brains needs AND our needs (so to speak).

That can sound tedious no doubt but it’s what we’ve done in any area of life where we are present.

If you eat dinner with your family free from distraction. If you go to the gym and focus on your workout. If you sleep at night without waking up to check emails.

Anywhere you have created this present this is the process you used and each time you do it your presence grows, your focus grows and it aligns with the direction you wish to go in.

You have a success formula rather than a HOPE that today you won’t be distracted or have split focus.

It takes time but every P and R you create create noticeable progress.