Be Where Your Feet Are

Without spending much time confirming this, I’m going to guess that sometime over the last ten years we’ve written about this topic. It’s easy in theory but challenging in practice: be present, or as I like to think about it, be where your feet are.

This has been top of mind for me, especially coming off a week’s summer vacation. Being away from the office, our team, and our clients for a full week was more challenging than I expected. It wasn’t easy to be where my feet were and not wander off in the back of my mind to work projects, to-do lists, and “I need to remember that for later” moments.

Turning off wasn’t a simple on/off switch. It was more like a dial from zero to ten. Some moments I was fully present and undistracted. Other moments, I had to intentionally bring myself back after realizing my mind had drifted away from where I was standing or sitting.

“Intentional” is the keyword we all need to think about. When we’re not intentional, our minds naturally wander. There’s always somewhere else to go, something else to think about, another responsibility competing for our attention. Left unchecked, we can spend an entire day physically in one place while mentally living somewhere else.

Stay present…

• During dinner with your family.
• In the meeting with your team.
• On the boat with friends.
• At your desk during the call.
• Playing the game with your kids.
• On the walk with your spouse.

Like I shared at the beginning, I’m sure we’ve written about this before. How do I know? Because this is one of those truths we don’t simply learn once and move on from. We need constant reminders. Presence is a decision we make over and over again throughout the day, not a destination we magically arrive at and stay.

So today, lock back in. Wherever your feet go, be there.