In the world of sports and life in general, we seem to be in a great hurry to get on to the next thing. So much so that we are distracted from what is happening right now. You need to live in the now. The “present” is the only place anything is ever happening.

Take college football … the dust has barely settled from the championship game and already the “experts” have picked what teams will grace next year’s Top 25. We are in the middle of the college basketball season, and the pundits already have the brackets filled out for the Final Four.

Do we ever fully experience what’s happening right now? Do we take the time to complete what just happened? Since completing things is a big issue for human beings, I doubt it. We are in such a hurry to get to the future that we fail to do what creates a foundation for future accomplishments.

Let’s look at relationships for a minute.

We continually leave things unsaid, problems unsolved and situations a mess. We rob ourselves of satisfaction and attempt to build a future on a pile of crap. Then, we wonder why are lives aren’t working. We need to acknowledge successes and failures equally. We build on the satisfaction and accomplishment of our successes. What we learn from our failures allows for actions that elevate our performance in the future. If you see no action to take, let the failure go and get on with your life.

Word of caution—spending too much time in the future tends to create expectations that limit what is possible in your life. Know your commitments. Take actions daily that move you in their direction. Accept what you get, then take the next action.

Don’t forget …

Check out the Coaching Bookstore and you’ll find some choice words that will support your efforts.