Do you ever feel like you stand still? I don’t. Mindfulness seems like a yoga-pant wearing conspiracy designed to charge me £40 to stare at a wall. 

And it really hit home last month. Not only was it my wedding anniversary (yes, someone did sign up to this long-term – go figure!), but it marks [drum roll] 10 years since I set up my business.  

Yes. High Hopes Consulting is 10 years old. And many of my wonderful clients have been asking me through the month what I’m most proud of… 

I had some good answers. But they all had 1 thing in common. They didn’t focus on today. 

Cue a bunch of (not so) humble brags…  

I found myself leaning into past achievements like growing the business, even in COVID. Becoming a Fellow of the Association for Coaching. The increasing scale of projects. The size of speaking gigs. The repeat custom. 

Or I looked to the future – like upcoming projects that will take me to Kenya and Hong Kong this year. No mean feat for a lass from inner-city Birmingham. 

So, what about finding proud moments in what I’m doing TODAY?  

Because all of those past ‘todays’ have added up to where I am now. 

And based on my experience in coaching and consulting, you’re probably not great at celebrating today either. None of us are. 

It’s easier to look back on previous wins through the Vaseline-covered lens of time. It belies the challenges. 

And it’s nicer to look forward to the next big thing and ignore the huge energy, effort and faff in planning and delivering it. 

Whereas the challenge of today and the tough choices it contains can’t possibly feel positive… 

Well, maybe it can. I love this quote: 

"On any given Monday I am one sale closer  

and one idea away from being a millionaire." 

Given my opening confession, a full-throated mindfulness missive from me might be a bridge too far. So, here are some practical tips I’ve experimented with to relish in today. 

#Tip 1: The 1-minute ‘design-the-day’ technique  

A daily ritual - whether that’s in the morning over breakfast or sat on the train. Or in the evening while you’re brushing your teeth – look forward to the day ahead and ask yourself: 

• What’s the 1 key thing I’m going to enjoy most about the day? 

• How do I make it bigger, more enjoyable or more developmental? 

A great example of this. I was listening to a podcast with a business owner. The thing he was most looking forward to was being on that podcast, as the host was a bit of a hero of his. So, here’s how he chose to make it bigger:  

• Being based in New York he decided to leave time to walk to the recording though Central Park (his favourite place) rather than rush on the subway.  

• He decided to buy a coffee from his favourite coffee shop on the way.  

• He had his favourite poke bowl lunch on the way back. 

• He wrote 3 words on how the podcast felt in his diary when back at his desk. 

He didn’t add lots of time and complexity to his day. But those small things elevated his daily highlight and turned his enjoyment up to 11. 

Tip #2: My 1-minute leadership choice tool 

Lots of leaders (not you, I’m sure!) fall into the trap of turning up and playing the same role in every room because they don’t give themselves a bathroom break, let alone reflection time to consider what the room needs from them.  

You have to be you, of course. But we both know there are different versions of you who work better in different situations.  

So spend 1 of the 5 minutes walking to that meeting or in the lift or while you’re getting a cuppa asking yourself: 

• What does this group / person need from me? 

• How will I give them the very best of me? 

This way you’re more in the moment. You make a conscious choice about how you show up. You’ll be happier with your performance. And, as an added bonus, you’re more likely to get the results you need from that discussion. 

Tip #3 My 1-minute reflection trick  

Use 1 minute of your (all too short) lunch to do some reflection in the middle of your day, and ask yourself: 

• How did I feel this morning? How do I want to feel this afternoon? How do I make that happen? Or  

• If I gave myself a performance rating so far for today what would it be? What would improve it for the rest of the day? 

Simple. Effective. Grounded in reality. Just like my business. 

Take it from someone who struggles to be in the moment, these tricks can help you revel in today. After all, you deserve it to be the best day you can make it, right?