448: Be More Present When Your Mind Is Thinking Of The Next Thing A Podcast For Accountants And High-Stress Professionals
448: Be More Present When Your Mind Is Thinking Of The Next Thing A Podcast For Accountants And High-Stress Professionals
It may sound simple, but it’s one of the biggest challenges for people who work in high-stress careers. It’s the ability to be present in your own life. Think about this for a moment. You’re sitting down to dinner, but you’re thinking about the work you didn’t finish. You’re spending time with your family, but part of your mind is reviewing tomorrow’s schedule. You’re taking a day off, but you’re thinking about the emails waiting for you when you get back. Or maybe you’ve finally finished a demanding week, and instead of enjoying some time to yourself, you’re already thinking about everything you need to accomplish next week. Your body is there, but your mind is somewhere else. And the most frustrating part is that you may not even realize how often this happens. You tell yourself you’ll relax when the deadline passes. You’ll enjoy life when busy season ends. You’ll take better care of yourself when things settle down, but then another deadline comes, another client needs something, another responsibility takes its place, and life keeps moving forward while you’re waiting for the right time to enjoy it. If you’re an accountant, CPA, bookkeeper, tax preparer, business owner, or high-stress professional, we’re going to talk about why this happens, what it costs you, and how you can begin to show up for the life you’re living right now, even when you still have a lot on your plate. Because you don’t have to finish everything on your list to be present in your life. Let’s dive in…
Whether you’re an accountant, CPA, bookkeeper, tax preparer, business owner, or other high-stress professional, this episode will give you practical ideas you can use to think more clearly, respond more intentionally, and get more out of life.
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It may sound simple, but it’s one of the biggest challenges for people who work in high-stress careers. It’s the ability to be present in your own life. Think about this for a moment. You’re sitting down to dinner, but you’re thinking about the work you didn’t finish. You’re spending time with your family, but part of your mind is reviewing tomorrow’s schedule. You’re taking a day off, but you’re thinking about the emails waiting for you when you get back. Or maybe you’ve finally finished a demanding week, and instead of enjoying some time to yourself, you’re already thinking about everything you need to accomplish next week. Your body is there, but your mind is somewhere else. And the most frustrating part is that you may not even realize how often this happens. You tell yourself you’ll relax when the deadline passes. You’ll enjoy life when busy season ends. You’ll take better care of yourself when things settle down, but then another deadline comes, another client needs something, another responsibility takes its place, and life keeps moving forward while you’re waiting for the right time to enjoy it. If you’re an accountant, CPA, bookkeeper, tax preparer, business owner, or high-stress professional, we’re going to talk about why this happens, what it costs you, and how you can begin to show up for the life you’re living right now, even when you still have a lot on your plate. Because you don’t have to finish everything on your list to be present in your life. Let’s dive in…
Welcome Back…How often do you find yourself thinking about what’s next? If you're an accountant or another high-stress professional, your work often requires you to think ahead. You have deadlines to track, details to remember, problems to solve, and people depending on you. Looking ahead is part of being good at what you do. You anticipate problems. You prepare for what's coming. You try to stay one step ahead. Those skills can make you very successful professionally. But sometimes, the habit of looking ahead follows you everywhere. You're working on one client, but you're thinking about the next client. You're finishing one project, but you're already worried about the next deadline. You complete your workday, but your mind keeps working long after you've closed your computer. And even when nothing urgent is happening, your brain may be searching for something you haven't done yet. It's as if you can't fully relax until everything is taken care of. But how often does that actually happen? There's always another email. Another task. Another decision. Another thing you could be doing. If you wait until everything is finished before you allow yourself to enjoy your life, you may spend a lot of your life waiting. Let me give you an example. Imagine you've had a long day at work. You've finally made it home, and you're having dinner with your family. Someone asks you a question, but you're only half listening because you're thinking about an issue you need to resolve tomorrow. You look at your phone to check one email. Then another catches your attention. Before you know it, you're mentally back at work. You may even tell yourself you're doing this because you care about your career and your responsibilities. And you do care. But there's a difference between caring about your work and allowing work to occupy every available moment of your attention. When your mind is always somewhere else, you can miss the life that's happening right in front of you. You may be physically present with the people you love but mentally unavailable. You may finally have free time but be too distracted to enjoy it. And you may reach the end of the week feeling like you never really stopped, even when you technically had time off. This isn't about blaming yourself for thinking about work. It's about recognizing a pattern that may be costing you more than you realize.
Have you ever wondered why your mind keeps thinking ahead or why it’s so hard to stay in the moment? One reason is that your brain wants to help you. When you have a lot to do, your brain tries to remember what matters, anticipate problems, and make sure nothing gets missed. It reminds you about the email you need to send. It brings up the deadline you can't forget. It replays a conversation you want to handle differently. In many ways, it's trying to protect you from making a mistake or falling behind. But the brain doesn't always know when to stop. You might be sitting on the couch with nothing that needs your immediate attention, and your mind suddenly reminds you about something due next week. You feel a little tension. You start planning. You might even get up and do the task because you think you'll feel better once it's finished. And sometimes, getting it done is the right decision. But other times, you're responding to the discomfort of having something unfinished rather than making a deliberate choice about what needs your attention. You may believe that thinking about work constantly means you're being responsible. You may worry that if you stop thinking about everything, you'll forget something important. Or you may feel that enjoying yourself while work remains unfinished is somehow wrong. Let's challenge that last idea. You are allowed to enjoy your life even when you have unfinished work. Really take this in, you are allowed to enjoy your life even when you have unfinished work to do. You don't have to earn the right to relax by completing every task. You don't have to feel completely caught up before you can enjoy dinner, take a walk, spend time with someone you love, or do something just because it makes you happy. You can have responsibilities and still enjoy your life. You can have a busy week and still experience moments of peace. And you can care deeply about your work without thinking about it every minute of the day. The goal isn't to stop planning or become less responsible. It's to recognize when thinking ahead is useful, and when it's keeping you from participating in the life you're trying so hard to build.
I want you to start noticing where your attention is going using The RE*INVENTION™ Process, and the first step in Leading Yourself Under Pressure is to THINK. That means noticing what's happening in your mind instead of automatically following every thought that appears. The next time you're spending time away from work and find yourself thinking about your to-do list, I want you to pause and notice it. You might say to yourself, "I'm thinking about tomorrow's deadlines right now." That's it. You don't have to judge yourself for it. You don't have to get frustrated because you can't seem to turn it off. Simply notice where your attention has gone. Then ask yourself, "Is there something I need to do about this right now, or am I just thinking about it?" Those are two very different things. If there's a genuine emergency that needs your attention, you can decide how to handle it. But if you're thinking about something that can wait until tomorrow, you can make a different choice. You can remind yourself, "I've already decided when I'm going to work on this. I don't need to solve it again tonight." And if you're worried you'll forget, write it down. Put the task on your list. Add a reminder to your calendar. Create a note for tomorrow. Give your brain a place to store the information so it doesn't have to keep bringing it back to your attention. Then ask yourself one more question, "What do I want to be present for right now?" Maybe you're having dinner with your family. Maybe you're walking your dog. Maybe you're reading a book, exercising, or simply sitting quietly after a long day. Whatever it is, remind yourself that this moment matters, too. You don't have to wait for your entire life to be organized before you can participate in it. Then give yourself permission to come back to it.
Once you've noticed where your attention has gone, the next step in The RE*INVENTION™ Process is to RESPOND. Instead of automatically following your thoughts into the next task, choose to bring your attention back to what you're doing. This may not be easy, and you may have to do this more than once. You might be eating dinner and catch yourself thinking about work. You bring your attention back to the conversation. Two minutes later, your brain reminds you about an email. You notice it again and return to the conversation. That doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. You're practicing. Let's say you're taking a walk after a demanding day and your mind starts reviewing everything you didn't finish. Instead of trying to force yourself to stop thinking about it, acknowledge the thought. You might tell yourself, "Yes, there's more work to do. I'll handle it when I return to it." Then bring your attention to the walk. Notice what you can see around you. Pay attention to the air, the sounds, or how your body feels as you move. You don't need a special technique or a perfect environment. You're simply choosing to engage with what's happening now. You can do the same thing when you're with other people. Put your phone away for a little while. Look at the person who's speaking. Listen to what they're saying instead of planning your response or thinking about your next task. And if you notice your mind wandering, bring it back. You don't need to do this perfectly. The goal isn't to have an empty mind. It's to be more intentional about where you place your attention. Here's another practical step that can help. Create a small transition between work and the rest of your day. At the end of your workday, take five minutes to write down what you've completed, what still needs attention, and what your next steps will be. Choose a reasonable starting point for tomorrow. Then consciously end your workday. You might close your laptop, take a short walk, change your clothes, or listen to music on the way home. The activity itself isn't the important part. What matters is that you're giving yourself a chance to move from work mode into the next part of your life. You may still have work to do tomorrow. That's okay. You can leave work unfinished and still choose to be done for the day.
The final step of The RE*INVENTION™ Process is to LIVE. This is where you stop waiting for the perfect time to enjoy your life. It's easy to believe that the life you want is waiting somewhere in the future. You'll take that trip when work slows down. You'll make more time for your health when your schedule improves. You'll spend more time with friends when you aren't so busy. You'll finally relax when you feel caught up. And sometimes, your circumstances really do need to change. There may be commitments you need to reconsider or workload issues you need to address. But even when you can't change everything about your situation right now, you can begin changing how you experience your days. You can choose to enjoy your morning coffee without checking email at the same time. You can take a short walk without turning it into another productivity task. You can have dinner with someone you love and give that person your attention. You can make time for something you enjoy, even if your to-do list isn't empty. These may seem like small things. But your life isn't only made up of major milestones, vacations, or the weeks when work finally settles down. Your life is also made up of ordinary Tuesday evenings, quiet mornings, conversations, meals, and small moments you may otherwise rush through. If you're always waiting for things to get better before you allow yourself to enjoy them, you may miss many of those moments. So ask yourself, "What am I waiting for before I allow myself to enjoy my life?" Are you waiting until you're caught up? Until everyone else is happy? Until you feel less stressed? Until you finally reach the next goal? There's nothing wrong with working toward a better future. Goals matter. Your career matters. Your responsibilities matter. But your life matters now, too. You don't have to choose between being successful and enjoying your life. You can work toward your goals while also making room for the people, activities, and experiences that make your life meaningful. And you don't need to make a dramatic change to begin. You can start with one moment today. One meal where you put your phone away. One conversation where you really listen. One evening when you let tomorrow's work stay on tomorrow's list. One small reminder that your life is happening now, not just when everything is finished.
Here’s a simple challenge for the week. For the next seven days, choose one part of your day when you will practice being fully present. It might be the first ten minutes of your morning. It might be lunch, your evening walk, or the time you spend with your family after work. Choose something realistic. During that time, when your mind jumps ahead to the next task, notice it. Ask yourself, "Does this need my attention right now?" If it doesn't, make a note for later if needed, and bring your attention back to what you're doing. Don't worry about doing it perfectly. Just keep practicing. At the end of the week, ask yourself what you noticed. Did you feel more connected to the people around you? Did you enjoy a few moments you might normally have rushed through? Did you realize how often your mind was working even when you weren't? The purpose isn't to judge yourself. It's to learn more about how you're spending your attention, and to remember that you have some choice in where it goes.
As we wrap up, I want you to know that you don't have to finish everything on your list to be present for your life. There will always be something else to do. There will always be another deadline, another responsibility, or another goal to work toward. You can be committed to your career without allowing it to take up every moment of your attention. You can plan for the future without missing the present. And you can build a successful career while making room for a life you actually enjoy living. This is part of learning to lead yourself under pressure. You may not be able to control every demand on your time, but you can learn to THINK clearly, RESPOND differently, and LIVE in a way that reflects what matters to you. If you'd like help taking a first step, I've created a free resource called the 10-Minute Pressure Reset. It will help you pause, look at what's creating pressure, and decide what you want to do next. You can get it at www.financialadventure.com. Remember, your work is an important part of your life, but it doesn't have to be your entire life.
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