Big Idea #1: Psychological Time vs. Clock Time

Do you ever find yourself feeling caught up in your head, either in the past or future, and not really able to enjoy the present moment? It happens to all of us, but luckily there are ways we can better understand how we perceive and experience time and presence.

There are two types of time that we work with in our lives: clock time and psychological time.

Clock Time –

This is the actual time of day by which we usually schedule our lives, run by the clock. (Wednesday, March 4 at 8:00 am, for example.)

Psychological Time –

This is the space we live in our heads in the past or the future. When we’re dealing with psychological time, we’re not really living in the present moment because our experience is purely in our head (the past and future don’t exist, do they?!)

If you’re living in the past, you might find yourself thinking things like, “This thing happened…I regret this…if I could only do this differently…”

If you’re spending time in your head in the future, you might experience thoughts like, “When this happens, life will be better…. When I get this job, finally I’ll have this…”

If you find yourself with these thoughts, don’t judge them! Instead, try a grounding exercise.

Close your eyes and focus on a sound. Meditate on that one sound. After you’ve done that for a minute of so, allow a second sound to come in. Once you get those two sounds locked in, finally introduce a third sound. Practicing this exercise/meditation will help you develop a broader awareness of the present moment.

We want to honor the present moment for what it is, and not as a means to an end to reach something “better.” When we can develop a sense of gratitude for the present moment, that’s where we can find a deep sense of happiness. Being grateful for what we have in our lives help us realize that “I am enough” and “I have enough,” leading to a sense of completeness and abundance.

Big Idea #2: Overcoming Self-Doubt

Sometimes, even when we learn to live in the present moment, we still find ourselves questioning our approach to life. Are we doing this right, do these people like us, are we on the right path? These are just some of the questions that can arise and bring with them a sense of fear and uncertainty.

Ask yourself:

“What is it that I really want?”

 

Many of us fall into the trap of thinking we need to feel confident before we do something. We often think, “I need to be confident at this before I can actually go for it!” But this line of thinking is flawed, because confidence doesn’t come from being skilled at something. In reality, confidence comes as a result of taking action. When we take action, then we start to feel confident!

And when we start to take action, then we can understand what our options really are. We can move forward in alignment with our heart because we will see the paths unfolding in front of us.

We need to be willing to let our ego take a hit, for the purpose of long-term growth. Yes, we might suck at something sometimes. We might not speak exactly as we wanted to, or facilitate an event perfectly, or whatever. But guess what? We’ll be better at it next time, and the experience will foster confidence.

Big Idea #3: Becoming The Person You Want To Become

In order to live your most optimal life, think about the feelings you want to feel on a regular basis, rather than the things you want to have or goals to achieve. With this mindset, you’ll realize that you already have everything you need to live your optimal life, because it doesn’t come from outside yourself. Your happiness and fulfillment come from inside yourself, from living in alignment with who you truly are and want to be.

So ask yourself the question:

“What kind of person do I want to become?”

 

The best kind of answer will describe feelings rather than material things or achievements.

For example: “I want to become the kind of person who feels joy and confidence on a regular basis, who lives with a sense of purpose.”

So think about that person you want to be, and ask yourself:

“How does that person behave?”

“How does that person start their day?”

“Who do they spend their time with?”

“How do they deal with negative thoughts?”

“What do I need to do in order to be in alignment with that person?”

 

The answers to these questions will be the first stones on the path to your ideal life.

HW + Action Steps!

As always, we’d love for you to share your personal favorite takeaways in the private Facebook group.