A pile of puzzle pieces dumped fresh from the box can be intimidating. How will you get all those tiny cardboard pieces to look like the picture on the front of the box? You decide to start with the most pronounced sections of the puzzle - the corners, the edges, the bright red barn in the distance. Once you get these started, you trust that the rest of the puzzle will fall into place.
However, no puzzle would be complete without working on the less prominent parts of the puzzle as well. You can't avoid the dull, grassy meadow that makes up 75% of the picture. Eventually, you must work on these more difficult and less exciting parts of the puzzle, too. Otherwise, your picture will be incomplete.
Like puzzles, our days consist of tiny pieces of time. Separately, they may seem meaningless, but when assembled together, they create the picture of a beautiful day. The problem is that many people fail to realize the importance of every piece of their day. They focus 100% of their energy on the slim 25% of their day that is made up of colorful and exciting events.
Think about what your day was like yesterday. Chances are you only remember a few significant happenings: the guy who cut you off on your way to work, the five dollars you found in your coat pocket, the mess your dog left you while you were away at work. These are the moments that consume our attention during the day and are the first we recall when the day is over. Yet, what about all those other moments that are just as important in filling our day?
Sure, the dull, green meadow may not be very exciting to assemble, but when all is said and done, it is often the most beautiful part of the completed picture. When our energy is engaged elsewhere, we ignore those parts of the puzzle that seem insignificant. We miss out on the beauty of those moments and the picture of our day is incomplete.
One of the best ways to make the most of every moment is to increase our confidence. When most people hear the word "confidence," they immediately think of those extremely challenging situations that feel like tests. Few recognize the importance confidence plays in the string of tiny moments that make up our days.
Confidence does more than help us tackle big jobs. When woven into everyday moments, it gives us the strength to live every moment with stress-free enjoyment. Instead of dwelling on how rushed your morning was, or worrying about the appointment you have in two hours, you can shift your attention and energy where it needs to be: the present moment.
As simple as it seems, learning to live in the moment takes practice. We are often distracted by memories from the past or dreams for the future. It is especially tempting to keep looking at the big picture; the completed puzzle picture on the box. However, the only way to get there is by focusing on where that next puzzle piece goes. By concentrating on the present, you can enjoy every moment while tackling your goal piece by piece. With this method, you will find yourself increasing the amount and quality of your work while lessening the stress and anxiety of your day.
The beautiful part about life is that we can control what the picture looks like. When you are confident in who you are and what you do, you will have a balanced perspective of the events that fill your day. You will have the freedom to live every moment as it comes and trust that at the end of the day, the picture will come out as it should. You will finish your day enjoying the beautiful picture that every little moment made.
Tom Richard conducts seminars on sales and customer service topics nationwide. Tom is also the author of Smart Salespeople Don't Advertise: 10 Ways to Outsmart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing, a contributing author to Top Dog Sales Secrets, and publishes a free weekly ezine on selling skills titled Sales Muscle. To subscribe to this free weekly ezine go to http://www.boltfromblue.com
Source: www.articletrader.com
