They say the last mile is lonely, but my experience is otherwise.
Each time I’m lucky enough to vacation at the beach, my goal is to have my toes in the sand 45 minutes prior to the sun “officially” rising. There is something magical about this time of day. It is dark, quiet and still, and the rhythmic sound of the waves is the only thing complementing the fresh air. I walk the beach feeling as if I’m the only person on earth, the sky the darkest navy possible. As my walk continues and the sun graces me for the day, the most beautiful colors begin developing in front of me: blues, pinks and tangerine. And if I’m lucky enough, puffy clouds expand the palette of colors in the sky. As my walk continues and the sun gets closer to its “official rise”, I begin to see more signs of life. People trickle to the sand in their shorts and sweatshirts, sleepy-eyed and barefoot. As the sun continues to peek its head above the horizon, a dozen people line the shoreline, phones in hand ready to capture the moment of beauty and a new dawn.
As I watch the migration arrive at the beach, I can’t help but think about all the beauty of the sky, and the quiet and stillness they have just missed. They arrive in time for the show but have missed the real magic.
As I see this reality unfold in front of me day after beach-walk day, I can’t help but think about how true this also is of life and business. We live in such a fast-paced, one thing to the next, trying to stay on top of it all world, it is easy to fall prey to the all-consuming pull to focus intensely on this year, this quarter, this month, this moment.
At Bluewater, we say the best sessions come from the best preparation. We pride ourselves on spending the time, energy and dedicated thought planning and preparing because this time and effort allow us to tailor content to our clients’ needs. We see the difference it makes in session, and hear the meaningful takeaways this preparation creates for our attendees.
But if I’m honest, it can be difficult to prioritize that time and to balance the futuristic planning with the immediate demands pulling on me in the moment. The fires in front of me, the needs of those around me, the one more to-do calling for attention. Without intentionality and discipline, it can feel impossible to stay out of the right-now-needs of my inbox instead of creating the dedicated brain space and focus on that which needs my time and space to plan, strategize and grow.
I ask you: in this hustle and bustle world that so dutifully works to steal our attention and focus, and keeping us moving from one moment to the next, what are you missing out on? What could be made more impactful, more complete or all around better if you found ways to keep the “now monster” at bay and spent more time in the pre-planning hours instead?
They say the last mile is the loneliest, but my experience says the first mile is even lonelier, though offers beauty for all those willing to walk it.
Lindsey Weigle,
Managing Partner