What Are You Noticing?

In an age when so many of us spend hours, if not full days, with our heads bent over an electronic device - reading emails, laughing at videos, responding to texts, and caught up in social media – how often do we really notice what is going on around us?

How often do you take time to smell the roses? Or to simply appreciate your surroundings, whether you are out in nature, enjoying the comfort of your own home, sitting among co-workers, or out with friends? Soaking up our environment seems to be becoming a bit of a lost art.

In a weeklong leadership develop program, we challenge participants to spend time “noticing.” We think leaders don’t notice enough about their team members, and we encourage them to practice by noticing things about each other throughout the week.  We often pause for time to reflect and answer the question:  What are you noticing about yourself and others?

I challenge you to try this for a week.  Stop what you are doing occasionally, put down the device and look around.  What do you see? What do you sense? Who else is there? What are they doing? How do you feel?  What are you thinking? What do you appreciate?

Becoming more mindful takes practice. If you find it difficult to stop and pause occasionally, set a timer a few times a day as a reminder, and just try it. Recently it seems I’m reading a lot of articles about people feeling more and more disconnected, and it seems tied to the proliferation of electronic devices that we carry with us constantly.

Many of my clients have told me of their desire to be more present – with their teams, with their families, and with their friends. It is so much easier to be distracted by all the media coming at us 24/7. And presence takes practice, but it has many rewards. Giving people your full attention is the best gift. When you combine noticing with time for reflection and giving your attention to others, it is a powerful recipe for better connection.

What do you think? Will you accept my challenge? Let me know what you notice.  I’m very interested in your experience.

Being present is one of the hallmarks of high performing achievers. If you are interested in going deeper to learn how to perform above standard norms over the long term, while maintaining your well-being and your important relationships, check out my group high performance coaching program here. There is no time like the present!