Being present isn’t just for Christmas

A week or so ago I observed in my daily journalling that I was feeling very frustrated because so many things were in flux. Dates of meetings, timings of sessions, and the content of workshops were all changing and shifting and it felt like I couldn’t rely on anything being as expected. In fact, it made me think of a scene from Star Wars where Anakin Skywalker is jumping from rock to rock in a river of lava and trying not to fall to his death. With zero stability and high stakes, it’s the very image of a VUCA world (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), driven by a fear of not knowing.

When I reflected the next day on my frustration, I was able to see the humour in it, and recognise the folly of assuming that our lives are ever stable. Because the reality is that everything is always changing, and in a moment our lives can be flipped upside down, however much we plan and prepare. In fact, are we ever really in control of anything, do we ever really know anything?

Particularly at this time of year, when life is even more hectic than usual and most of us are trying to cram too much into our lives as Christmas approaches, it’s so important for leaders to focus on being present. After all, in our ME, US and IT foundation model of leadership, ME is the first priority, but when there is noise and busyness all around (and within our own minds), how do we learn to be present?

I’m currently reading a wonderful book calledStillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle, who advises:

“Become at ease with the state of ‘not knowing’. This takes you beyond mind because the mind is always trying to conclude and interpret. It is afraid of not knowing. So, when you can be at ease with not knowing, you have already gone beyond the mind.”

There is so much of value in this book that, as soon as I finished reading it, I went back to the first page and started at the beginning again. Tolle’s deep focus on being present in the now has so much to teach leaders about maintaining our equilibrium, quietening our mind and listening to our inner wisdom.

A few years ago we explored how to be present in this blog, which includes seven great tips on using different parts of the body (mind, ears, eyes, mouth, heart, hands, feet) to feel more centred and grounded. Why not find time over the next couple of weeks to try some of the techniques?

I wonder what 2025 will feel like if we accept the VUCAness of everyday life, get comfortable with not knowing and focus on being present? I’m going to give it a go. Will you?