Being present in the moment

Sometimes I go for a surf with my head full of thoughts. I think about the stuff at work, I try to solve some coding puzzles, I try to figure out why my wife cannot understand my point of view, or I bring day-to-day anxiety to the water. Long story short, it never helps with my surfing abilities. If I start thinking about unrelated things, I get smashed by one wave after another, can’t pop up properly or drop on somebody stupidly. The ocean gives you a chance to disconnect. The only device I take with me to the water is a watch to ensure I’m not spending too much time, so that nobody can call me and I receive no notifications. In theory, I could focus solely on surfing and pay undivided attention to the activity. I can’t solve any problem at that time, so why bother? Unfortunately, my mind doesn’t work this way. If you don’t have big problems, even small things might become an issue that occupies your mind and takes all your cognitive capacity. The size of the problem is very relative, and I don’t think it helps to compare it with others. Not being fully present during your current activity is not a matter of the seriousness of the things that make your nights sleepless.

No matter how hard or easy your life is, you can stop overthinking and be present during the simplest activities. Recently, I observed a child who did something foolish. He felt a bit ashamed for a second, but two minutes later, he forgot about it and kept going as if nothing had happened. “That’s a superpower,” I thought to myself. One drop during the surf can ruin my session. I keep thinking about things I said or should have said as if it matters. What happened, happened, and there is no way I will change it. I might try to behave better very next time, but overthinking can only ruin my whole session and bring a lot of anxiety.

The same thing happens in coding. Leaving all my daily concerns behind and focusing on the problem I’m solving helps me work quickly and really understand what I’m doing. I discovered that the “Pomodoro” technique helps me stay focused and connected to reality. Staying in the flow for long hours is cool, but in real life, it can cause issues.

Being present in the moment is the best way to make progress and achieve the best results in whatever we do. If we do one thing but think about another, we’re likely to do a poor job or solve a mental puzzle connected to the issue that occupies our mind. So some advice for myself: If you surf — surf, if you code — code, if you play with your daughter — play with her, don’t try to be everywhere simultaneously, because you might end up nowhere.