May 15, 2007 10 Comments

Anticipation and Calm

Two traits that will serve you well, especially in travel and business, are anticipation and calm. I say this from seat 17A on JetBlue flight 1001 to NYC, which turns out to be the business travel hell flight.

Anticipation means thinking just a little bit about what comes next, and having a move in mind. It was uninteresting to abide a guy emptying his pockets slowly in the security line, as if it had just dawned on him where he was and what he was doing. Just thinking a tiny bit ahead would change this experience for everyone else. In business, this translates as well. What if, at your next meeting, everyone around the table actually was ready and had anticipated everything that might come up? Wouldn’t it go faster? Better?

Calm seems in short supply here. We’re not going anywhere faster because you sigh heavily and roll your eyes. Strangely, tapping your foot doesn’t make the person clogging the row move faster.

In lots of aspects of your life, having your energy buttoned down and at your command is far better than letting your anxiety and emotions drive your day. Sure, there are exceptions, but these are rare in comparison.

Take a look at your day. Are you anticipating what comes next? Are you exercizing calm and controlling your impatience? Give this some thought today. What impact would more anticipation and calm have on your life?

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  • http://www.24stgeorge.com Dale Cruse

    The Army’s “hurry up and wait” policy taught me to be calm real fast.

  • http://www.24stgeorge.com Dale Cruse

    The Army’s “hurry up and wait” policy taught me to be calm real fast.

  • http://www.24stgeorge.com Dale Cruse

    The Army’s “hurry up and wait” policy taught me to be calm real fast.

  • http://stevegarfield.com steve garfield

    We are not dogs. ;-)

  • http://stevegarfield.com steve garfield

    We are not dogs. ;-)

  • http://stevegarfield.com steve garfield

    We are not dogs. ;-)

  • Pingback: A Bite of Sanity » Blog Archive » Gluing Anticipation To Calm With Momentum

  • http://www.ldpodcast.com Whitney

    There is a great book called Timeshifting- it’s all about living in the moment and being present. So you are focused on what you are doing in the moment rather than always living in the future in your head. If you are in the moment, you notice others around you are testy. You notice you kid is rolling their eyes, or is quieter than usual; you listen to what people are saying, rather than think what you will say next the whole time.

    I agree Being Prepared and not making others wait for you is a minimum courtesy. But being present in the moment and not mentally vacant creates the calm.

  • http://www.ldpodcast.com Whitney

    There is a great book called Timeshifting- it’s all about living in the moment and being present. So you are focused on what you are doing in the moment rather than always living in the future in your head. If you are in the moment, you notice others around you are testy. You notice you kid is rolling their eyes, or is quieter than usual; you listen to what people are saying, rather than think what you will say next the whole time.

    I agree Being Prepared and not making others wait for you is a minimum courtesy. But being present in the moment and not mentally vacant creates the calm.

  • http://www.ldpodcast.com Whitney

    There is a great book called Timeshifting- it’s all about living in the moment and being present. So you are focused on what you are doing in the moment rather than always living in the future in your head. If you are in the moment, you notice others around you are testy. You notice you kid is rolling their eyes, or is quieter than usual; you listen to what people are saying, rather than think what you will say next the whole time.

    I agree Being Prepared and not making others wait for you is a minimum courtesy. But being present in the moment and not mentally vacant creates the calm.