CAREER & MONEY
The Moment is a Present
By Donald Broughton
As chief market strategist , managing director and senior transportation analyst for Avondale Partners , Donald is a frequent guest on CNBC and Fox . He has been recognized as a top stock picker by “ The Wall Street Journal ,” “ Fortune ,” “ Zacks ” and “ StarMine .”
Often , when I sit down to write this column , I am trying to convey a message , trying to compel you ( the reader ) to do something , adopt something into your life that I have found valuable or found enriching . Sometimes I am venting , expressing what I know we all should do despite the behavior of someone that I have just endured .
Not this month . This month I am preaching to myself as much as I am pointing out something valuable to you .
The Buddhists are right . We can ’ t change the past ; the future is not certain . We only have the moment , the present . Live fully in the present . Focus fully on the minute you are in . It is the only thing you can actually change . In order to accomplish anything , you must focus your time and attention on it . The greater the endeavor , the greater the focus , the greater the time and attention it will require .
Now comes the ironic twist of our time . The age of technology offers the chance to improve our productivity . It also offers us multiple , very easy ways to become distracted . And many of those distractions can steal hours a day from you .
The simple answer ? Don ’ t let yourself be distracted . Set aside blocks of time every day in which email and your “ smart ” phone are off limits . When you do decide you have time to check Facebook , Twitter , Instagram or a similar application , set a timer on your phone , set a limit on how long you are going to do so . Just as teenage boys often need someone to set limits on how long they can play video games on any given day , in any given week , we all need to set limits on how much time of our lives is consumed by social media and email .
Even when I am successfully ignoring the “ crack cocaine ” call of social media , my email is interrupting with distraction after distraction . Some of the requests are legitimate and need a timely response , but often the response can be delayed until I am focusing on email .
One of my long-time colleagues once quipped , “ The older I get , the more I see the value of just hitting delete .” He is right . Email after email comes to all of us with similar messages , “ We really need you to …” “ It ’ d be great if you would …” “ If you could just take a few minutes and …” They all want you to spend your time doing something for them . Give yourself permission to tell them no . Better yet , give yourself permission to just hit delete .
Why ? Because it takes away from your ability to focus on one thing . And our ability to focus on just one thing is important . Multi-tasking is a myth . We can really only do one thing at a time . So focus on one thing at a time . Focus on one thing until it is done . Be present in the moment . It is the universe ’ s gift , the universe ’ s present to you . Focus on it , appreciate it , don ’ t waste it .
44 GAZELLE STL