Inspire Aspire - Live the Moment

Life is short - Fact. It goes in a flash. Better live it to the full then. Because it looks like in our quest for happiness, the next career move, the next shiny object, a collection, a chunk of mundane moments that are the brick and mortar, bread and butter making of us, slip and merge into days that slip and merge into weeks that slip and merge into months then years... A slow insidious landslide that takes us from the vigour of youth where time is generous and forgiving, to the emergency of old age. Then one day a reality check strikes and you wish you had taken notice.

By Sarah Abbott Art & Illustration

Yet it's easy to not entirely wholeheartedly be present in the moment, to just hang in an 'almost there' buffer place that is halfway between reality and a future hypothesis of wish/ daydream/ hope/ projection and their collaterals of fear and regret. This is called wishing your life away. Hands up, I am still guilty of wishing my life away, projecting into the future (or retreating back into the past!) and not living each present moment as it happens. Maybe you wish your life away too. Yet I can help you break the habit, stop the pattern with a little tweak 'n' trick of mine.

By acknowledging each moment as it unfolds it will not go in a blur nor will it deprive you of enjoyment and the opportunity of what might have been. Just remember that unacknowledged moments are the unsung heroes of our daily lives.

(Pict source)

For the last five years, I have been making a conscious effort to make each and every single day count, no matter how uninspiring and boring the day might look from the outset. I set aside a couple of hours daily to complete Ten Daily Tasks, i.e. ten mundane tasks that are not necessarily fun but that need to be done. At least this grounds my day and keeps procrastination at bay. It gives purpose to an otherwise ordinary day that would have been overlooked with my wishing my life away.

Currently a typical day for me includes the following tasks: to help my mum round the kitchen, water the vegetable patch, take my little dog Tickle for a walk, dedicate 15 minutes to the better good (signing and sharing wildlife protection petitions) via Twitter (@baguettemagique and @MirabelleDesign), check my emails, catch up on any admin/ housekeeping task, go food shopping, etc.

I also make sure that I practice gratitude and find enjoyment in the little pleasures of life as I go through my day, treat myself to a lovely cup of tea, bake a cake, strike a conversation, stop and enjoy a wild flower or a butterfly. Sounds twee and yes I do live up in the sticks but even in town you can be admirative of something (that covetable outfit in the retail store window) or someone (cracking eye candy!), anything that will make your day and won't cost a dime. Pinterest is a great place too to feast your eyes, make you feel good and boost your creativity. Lately my fabulous life coach, Dina Robison, has introduced me to meditation, which is being a great help. The coaching too is incredible and I will dedicate a post to it very soon!

Now your turn, peeps! Do you have any tips you would like to share of how you are taking ownership of each day? And to those of you who are following my Ten Daily Tasks format, how is this helping you? Email me labaguettemagique2009@gmail.com or leave a comment below.