5 Ways to Rejoice in Today

Being fully present is a challenge — here’s how to do it better.

Downtime Devotee

I love me some time off. Evenings after the workday, weekends, vacations, summer break — I will take what I can get. I’ve been working full time for nearly 30 years and have learned that there’s way more to life than work.

But I have a problem —sometimes I’m a Downtime Downer. I have an awful habit of counting down how much time off I have left when I should be enjoying it. It’s a dreadful habit.

Three days left, a week left, 5 hours left — whatever it is, I’m counting. I’ll zero in on the amount of time that remains instead of enjoying the Right-Here- Right-Now. I’m working to kick the habit.

There’s an alternative form of this practice. I call it Wishing-Your-Life-Away-Syndrome. I sometimes wake up and think “OK, it’s 10 hours until I can come home and relax” or “Only 3 more days until vacation”. That’s missing the point.

I’m counting down so intently at times that I forget the gift of now.

While this way of thinking may not seem particularly harmful, upon closer reflection, I realized it was. I was robbing myself of the joy of today by counting down all the time.

Now I’m taking steps to be more intentional about not obsessing about time. This is not as easy as you’d think, especially since I’m a teacher and it is summertime.

I can’t promise you that I don’t occasionally lapse into dreading September, but I am endeavoring to embrace and enjoy the in-between.

It may sound painfully cliché, but tomorrow isn’t promised. We only get today when we wake up. That’s it. There’s no guarantee we’ll make it until the end of the day.

I realize this sounds fatalistic, but it isn’t intended to be. On the contrary, it is a call to action. We must make every moment count.

Some ways of managing time and appreciating today more include things like:

Stop Multitasking

I know, I know. This is a tall order if you are an adult, an even taller order if you are a parent. Sometimes when we juggle too much at once, we don’t pause to look into the faces of our family and friends. We fail to truly be there.

There’s no prize for all that juggling.

Sometimes I pause and watch my kids playing or sleeping for a moment. Other times, I’ll linger over coffee with my husband on the porch. Just a few moments of pause is all it takes.

Taking a moment to drink in the beauty of the here and now is good medicine for a busy heart.

When I do, waves of gratitude wash over me that God has placed them in my life. Taking a moment to drink in the beauty of the here and now is good medicine for a busy heart.

Eat together— no phones, no TV. Just chat and chew. Talk about your day. We share by doing “Good, Bad, and Funny” at dinnertime. Each of us shares something from the day that stood out. It helps us stay connected.

We should go to our kids’ activities and actually watch them play. Don’t take work calls and answer emails. Don’t half-watch and half-scroll through social media. Be there in body and mind.

Practice Gratitude

Even on the most miserable days of sick kids, cranky students, demanding bosses, and halting traffic, there is always some reason to be thankful. Hunt for the silver lining. Pursue it with relentless fervor.

My son was sick on and off for a couple of weeks during the school year. My husband’s mom helped us out by taking him after we called out to care for him ourselves for several days. I’m grateful we live near family who cares for us and can help.

Thinking about how far I’ve come after a rocky start to my adulthood and marriage, I can’t help but be grateful. There were painful times, but there were good times too. Even when hard times come, I look for ways to be grateful.

I marvel at the growth and the many blessings my family has enjoyed. Pausing to remember helps me enjoy life more.

Increase Margin

I’m a real cheerleader for margin. Margin is simply leaving wiggle room in our schedules to allow for meaningful downtime.

I used to feel the need to do all the things, all the time. I’d multitask and overschedule myself into exhaustion. All the while, I was unable to enjoy being in the moment because I was impossibly busy and overwhelmed.

Often we lament how little time we have left to enjoy. This is in part because we cram our lives so maddeningly full of activity. Paring down the demands we allow into our lives lends itself to better enjoyment of the here and now.

Give of Your Time

This may sound counterintuitive to increasing margin, but I am a firm believer in the amazing economy that says when you give, you receive. When we help others with the time we do have, it makes life richer.

Building community and strengthening relationships is a by-product of giving of our time. Instead of drudgery, we experience joy in the moment. The best use of our time is always when we are using it to bless others.

When we give our time away, it has a twofold benefit. Others are helped and we are fulfilled. Fulfillment only comes when we make meaningful use of our time.

Look Forward While Being Present

There’s no harm in anticipating something fun like a long weekend or a summer vacation. Who doesn’t get excited about such things?

The problem is fixating on upcoming events to a fault and losing focus on the goodness of today. There’s no quicker way to make a good day bad than to fail to appreciate it.

There’s no quicker way to make a good day bad than to fail to appreciate it.

I don’t want to be a Downtime Downer anymore. I want to be an Embracer of Today. Today is truly the best time. Only today do we have life, breath, and love at the ready.

Thank you for reading! I’m Tracy Gerhardt-Cooper, and I invite you to follow me if you’d like to read more real talk about real life. Please follow my publication Middle Ground also for midlife musings. Let’s do life on purpose.