In a lot of my work as a development coach, I find this odd tension between the drive to grow, have a vision, and move forward with purpose and passion, and the latent potential of living more present and being here in the now.
Both are valuable approaches and worthy of our time and effort to develop, yet there seems to be a choice between the two as if they are separate paths to take, and choosing one means choosing against the other.
In my work, I often find myself challenging this assumption with my clients. If the challenge resonates, we often find ourselves working on how to integrate both of these powerful life strategies.
I will state that I am working on this integration in my own life, I have a clear and dynamic vision for the future that I pay a lot of attention to, nurture, and constantly develop, while also, having a determined commitment to being content in the moment, giving and receiving as much of life as is available to me here, right now.
I have found that a clear vision for the future actually helps me stay more present, as I can connect a lot of the now to then and live more purposefully today, seeing the connection between current actions, opportunities, or challenges, and the future potential and path.
There are many strategies that can help pull off this integration, yet I dont want to give the impression here that there is an easy step-by-step approach that works the same for all, we are all unique and our paths to grow, are customized to some extent, yet there are some principles that we can all try to apply, here are a few:
Recognize that the more self-awareness I have in the present, the more clarity I will have for the future.
Remember we are spending most of our time in a process toward something, the journey itself is where we live the most.
Paying attention to the now, helps me to get to know, what I am most fulfilled doing, or what I want to change in my life, hence feeding into a future vision or aspiration.
I am more likely to make better, more aligned choices if I have a clear connection between the present and the future.
These guiding principles are not necessarily dictates of what to do to create a vision or live more present, they are more like guard rails to create some clarity that the integration of both ways of being is valid and possible.
The strategy and tactics are more specific to our individual paths, which might take some time and inner work to develop, working with a coach is one way to flesh this out.
As we come near the end of one year and the beginning of the next, here's to staying present, while also having a clear growth path ahead of you!
Tony Gilotte
