The Power Of Being Present

Hi,

I'm Scott Schute.

I lead our mindfulness and compassion programs here at LinkedIn.

And today we're going to talk about the power of being present.

If I asked you what makes you happy,

You'd probably tell me about what you do.

Your hobbies,

Relationships,

Maybe your work.

It turns out the act of being present is twice as big a factor in our happiness as the actual activities we're doing.

In other words,

If I'm washing dishes at the kitchen sink and I'm fully present in the moment,

Chances are I'm happier than if I'm doing one of the hobbies I love and my mind is wandering,

Maybe focusing on the project I have due next week.

One of the reasons we love our hobbies so much is that when we're doing them we're often fully present.

When I'm mountain biking,

I'm not thinking about the past or the future.

I'm just enjoying the moment.

Or when we're engaged in a great conversation,

We're in the moment.

It's a challenge to be present with the distraction factories we carry with us all the time.

Current research shows that Americans check our phones on average 80 times a day.

Think about it.

It's hard for us to go even 10 minutes without picking up our phones.

So if we know that being present is important to our happiness,

So important to our relationships,

And we know it's a challenge,

What do we do?

Well,

Here are three things that each of us can try.

First,

Start monotasking.

Research shows that multitasking is just not effective.

So do one thing at a time.

If you're working on a project and you need to focus,

Close down all the rest of your windows on your computer.

Turn off the notifications on your phone.

Maybe even turn off your phone.

Focus only on your project.

Second,

Choose to be there.

If you're having a conversation with someone,

Choose to be there.

Choose to make them the most important thing in your life for that moment.

Don't check the phone.

Don't start thinking ahead to your next meeting.

Choose to be present.

And third,

Be curious.

Our brains pay attention with novelty.

We often go into autopilot when we're interacting with a person we believe we know well,

Or in situations that are familiar to us.

Our quality of presence and the amount we pay attention suffers when we think we already know.

Instead,

We want to cultivate a beginner's mind.

So challenge yourself to be curious.

Ask lots of questions,

Like,

Tell me more,

Or what about this is most important to you?

And be on the lookout for things that surprise you.

Change your habits to create novelty,

Like sitting in a new seat during a meeting.

If you're leading a meeting,

Move something during a break.

Challenge people to notice what's different.

Get creative.

Being present is simple,

But it's not easy.

When we're present,

We're happier.

We're more productive,

And we're a better version of ourselves from other people.

And it starts with the choices we make.

So let's choose to be present.