You Must Be Present to Win

by Rochelle Melander

Over the weekend, I listened to Dan Harris’s conversation with Vinny Ferraro on his 10 Percent Happier podcast, “That Feeling That Something’s Missing, and How to Find It.”

In the midst of the conversation about being present to our lives, Vinny Ferraro reminded listeners of the old adage, “You must be present to win.”

It hit me in the gut.

How often do I cook, walk my dogs, or shop with my mind in the clouds. I used to blame it on being a writer. But the truth is, I’m usually ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. Neither will make my present moment better. Worse, sometimes I miss what’s going on entirely.

When it comes to writing, this saying reminds us that to have a productive writing session, we must be present.

That’s why we begin every Show Up and Write session with a short ritual. We ground ourselves, taking deep breaths and anchoring our body and mind in the present.

We set an intention for the day’s writing session. We let go of our ruminations about past mistakes and set aside our worries about future tasks.

We envision ourselves engaged in our creative work, pulling together words and images and committing them to paper. We end our meditation with a few more breaths and brief blessing from the lovingkindness meditation, “May I be safe. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I create with ease.”

I don’t begin every writing session with this ritual, but maybe I should. According to scientific research, rituals pull us into the present moment. They help our brains feel confident about the present moment, convinced that life is constant and predictable. Scientific research shows that a ritual performed before a performance can ease anxiety and help us perform better. (RESEARCH)

But the beginning of the writing session might not be the only place you need to add a ritual.

What do you do when you get distracted? How do you handle your brain nudging you to check email or social media instead of writing? How do you pull yourself out of a rumination and get back to writing?

In a book I just read (Three Hitmen and a Baby by Rob Hart), one of the characters snaps the hairband on her wrist. Ouch!

Maybe a better “return to the present” ritual might be to pause and repeat a mantra like, “Be here now” or “Right here, write now.”

Your turn

This week, examine the rituals you already use to begin or refocus your writing session. If you don’t have rituals, add one and note if it helps. Feel free to leave a comment about the rituals that work for you.