The current life expectancy for a human being is 71 years, which breaks down to 37,317,600 minutes. Within those minutes are moments large and small, plotted like dots on the timeline of our life. Some of these dots, such as career choice, marriage, or life experiences, hang in our memory and help define our life. Other dots, like the ones we discussed in a previous blog, Hidden Impact, are often underestimated but, ultimately, make the big moments possible. We see this play out time and time again in our coaching. Some of my favorite examples include: a vacation that changed the course of a marriage and set the stage for life as empty nesters, a three-day unload, reset, and refocus protocol that helped a young leader shed imposter syndrome and nail her first impression on a new team, and a reimagined morning that helped a travel-weary father maximize the limited moments that he had with his kids. At TIGNUM, helping you get the most fun and impact from your moments is our passion.

To be clear, the idea is not to be at 100% of your best 100% of the time. We’re not looking to squeeze more juice from the metaphorical lemon. The challenge in 2020 is that it’s easier than ever to miss out on potential moments because, for many of us, life feels a bit like one continuous moment. Much of the private time we used to rely on, such as plane rides, hotel rooms, and commutes, has disappeared. So, this would be the perfect time to step back and ask: What area of my life could use more moments right now? Who in my life would I love to create a moment with? What would it take to create these moments?

With that in mind, here are 3 steps to make it happen:

• _01. Hit the pause button.
• _It’s critical to stop the speed train, pause, reflect, and prepare. Making sure you create time in your day to let that happen is a critical, often overlooked, first step. Whether it’s planning a half-day to transition into vacation mode or planning 5 minutes to reset between meetings, create time to pause.
• _02. Determine what the moment will require from you.
• _How high or low should your energy be? What skills do you need to lean on here? How do you want people to remember you in this moment? Playtime with your kids looks a lot different than a pitch meeting, but the preparation is quite similar. Create a clear picture of success.
• _03. Take action to bring the moment to life.
• _Having a vision for your moment is important, but it’s more important to execute it. If you need to be a calm, patient listener, but your day is filled with tough conversations and emotional fatigue, listen to some relaxing music, practice some equal breathing (4 seconds in, 4 seconds out), and visualize yourself at your best before you engage. When it comes to moments, you rarely get a second chance to make a first impression.

Alternately, if you feel lethargic and demotivated, but want to set a fun, energized tone, use some movement or even a few quick energizing breaths (3 seconds in followed by a rapid exhalation).

The number of moments left for us gets smaller with each passing day, and you never know when the moment you’re in will become the next “dot” on your timeline. With a simple system, you can set yourself up to get the most from your moments. One day, you'll look back with gratitude, fulfillment, and contentment because you invested your energy upfront. Just think about that for a moment and, surely, your motivation to prepare better to make the most from your moments will increase.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts.