I came across a post on LinkedIn a few weeks ago that cited a study which indicated that humans spend 47% of our time mentally thinking about the past or future tense. That’s a lot of time spent dwelling on things that have already happened or looking forward to things which may happen in the future and only 53% on the here and now. The first thing that came to my mind upon reading that post was surprise. Surprise that the percentage of time spent in the past tense or future tense was not higher, after all, the mind does wander. Secondly, I felt sad. Sad that we don’t spend enough time mentally in the moment – enjoying what’s right in front of us. Then I thought, this correlation does not differentiate between business time and personal time, so how does it affect us as salespeople?
A lot of business or sales articles advise us to spend time in the past and future tenses. Heck, I’ve written a few of them myself for this publication. Things like, evaluate your performance, plan your time, replay a call, think strategically, etc. So, for this column I want to discuss staying in the moment: What can we do, what can we learn, how can we grow.
Learn Every Day
We should strive to learn something new each day. This creates a curiosity in us that drives us to learn more about our customers, markets, and industries. There are lessons to be learned all around us, but we have to be open to seeing them. A day spent fretting about yesterday or hoping for a better day tomorrow is a day not spent looking for the positives right in front of us. The old saying is “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I believe that old dog will be a less successful dog if learning is not a part of their life.
Engage & Connect
Spend time each day connecting and engaging with those around you. Customers, prospects, co-workers, neighbors, somebody…anybody. Get out of your comfort zone. Seek opportunities to connect with people and engage them. You may meet a new customer or make a more personal connection with a co-worker or neighbor, and this connection could lead to a true friendship. Stay in the moment and look for these opportunities; they could be anywhere.
Carpe Diem
Latin for “Seize the Day.” Carpe Hesterno (Seize Yesterday) and Carpe Cras (Seize Tomorrow) are not as well-known as Carpe Diem, and probably for good reason. Worrying about yesterday or hoping for something new in the future takes away from the opportunity of today. What can I do today to make a difference? Get a firm grip on every day and use your time wisely. Make the most of your time working…make the most of your personal time. Life is not a dress rehearsal – Enjoy It!!
I’m not suggesting you completely ignore past-tense or future-tense thinking. A successful salesperson needs to spend some time in the past and the future. Evaluating their performance and looking for ways to improve, looking at their territory strategically and having a forward-looking plan for their week, or month, are just two examples. I am suggesting however that we challenge our brains, or our psyche really, to spend more than 53% of our time in the now. Spending more time mentally in the present will create better memories to look back on, and a better future to look forward to. What can you do today to insure yourself a better tomorrow?
