SHOW UP PREPARED TO BE NO PLACE ELSE

"Wait, hang on, I can't get on the Zoom cuz I'm on my phone, not my computer. You see, I am on my way to… But I thought we could talk while I drive, but I can't get the link to work." 

How often do you have a conversation like that with a colleague, client, or even employee? I would say that I experience something like that at least once, maybe twice a week.  

People are driving, cooking, eating, and who knows what else while doing their meetings. One time, someone was weeding in the garden.   

The pandemic pushed us all to work from home. There are some real pluses to that.  We all got our technology straightened out in order to make it happen. We can now operate much more flexibly for future emergencies or snow days (at least in Colorado).  

But along the way, we lost all the boundaries that made time sacred.  

Back in my early days as an advisor, I was immersed in the Values-Based Financial Planning culture. The founder, Bill Bachrach, was a stickler for being present during his conferences. He talked about "Showing up prepared to be no place else" all the time. (I think he was quoting someone else, but I couldn't find the source) 

Showing up prepared to be no place else is about… 

-Removing distractions 

-Having the tools you need 

-Being prepared as a human (think food, water, bathroom) 

It is about giving the person in front of you your full attention.  It is about respecting the time of those whom you are meeting with. It is about making the best use of the time you have available.  

Are you "showing up prepared to be no place else" in the digital world? 

When our lives blurred into a never-ending WFH marathon, many of us left behind some habits that served us in the normal world.  

In the real world, would you… 

-Ask a client or colleague to jump in the car for a meeting on the way to run errands? 

-Read the news, scroll Insta and text your friends while meeting with someone? 

-Show up at the last minute with your physical appearance in disarray for an in-person meeting? 

I know it's hard!  I am guilty of some of these things myself. But this is the New Normal. We all deserve some grace for weathering the storm. We have been juggling a lot. But now, we have to buckle down and return some discipline to our lives.  

We need to commit to "showing up ready to be no place else" in both the real and digital environments.  We need to show up prepared mentally and physically to give our full attention to the task at hand. 

We hear so much about mindfulness.  Mindfulness isn't just something that happens on the meditation pillow. It is also something we can and should practice throughout the workday.  Set the task, focus without distraction to completion, get up and move and then refocus for the next task.   

Mindfulness is good for our stress levels. It makes us more productive, and it shows respect for the people we interact with. 

For your own sake and for those around you, commit to "showing up ready to be no place else!" 

With Purpose, 

-Lucila 

Want to have a little fun?  I would love to hear the craziest thing you have done or seen done during a virtual meeting. Just for a giggle, stop by the TIA Mastermind Facebook Group and share yours! I can't wait to see what everyone says!