Where Do You Spend Your Thinking Time?
For me this time of year always feels like the start of a new year as school starts again. It’s a time of new plans post the holiday time. This year my youngest son has just started university. A client’s daughter had her first day at a new college so he was distracted. It’s the start of a whole new adventure for them both. I was also reminded that it’s four years since my son’s granny passed away and my mind went to the Past. It brought to mind the diagram above that I first saw when I started out coaching.
Posted in Self development
The question was ‘How would you divide the circle in terms of your thinking time?’
At the time it was suggested that people can dwell on the past, worry about the future and spend very little time in the present. It was a reminder that the present is a ‘present’ and to enjoy it. The current practice of mindfulness which I am a great believer in, encourages us to notice what is happening rather than allowing our minds to race ahead to what might happen.
As I saw online recently….’If you are depressed you are living in the past, if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace you are living in the present’.
- Acknowledge what could happen.
- Choose what to pay attention to.
- ‘Park’ the rest.
- Come back to the present by mindfulness, meditation or other techniques to stop your mind and body racing with anxiety.
The past is an interesting focus. We can ignore our past, whether that’s our past roles, family, childhood. Some can see it as no value. If we look at it with a ‘systemic’ view; John Whittington in his constellation work talks about all the ‘systems’ we have belonged to as a peacock’s tail. Those systems behind us whether they are family, work, groups and many more. In the western world we can ignore our ancestral families, past and consider ourselves as solitary. If we consider our individual ‘peacocks tails’ we have huge resources behind us. Knowing these resources can be hugely beneficial and support us even more so as we go through big changes.
Claire Palmer is a highly experienced and accredited executive and career coach, coach supervisor and mentor, and the founder of Claire Palmer Coaching. For over 18 years she has been coaching clients through transformational change whether personal or professionally. She works in the UK and internationally, both face to face and over the phone. She is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF).
About Claire
Claire is a highly experienced and accredited Coach & Coach Supervisor. Passionate about helping people with their purpose, career, work, life. Being fulfilled in this every changing world.
Recent posts
Get updates
Sign up for updates – and get a copy of Career Insights, my guide to kickstarting your career, free.
Get updates
Share this page