Our first Not-Quick Tip is simple and deep: Notice! “Noticing” is the gift I treasured most during my coaching training withNewfield. I’ve started noticing what I was missing and by that I gained a richer world, more meaningful conversations, deeper experiences, more opportunities and possibilities, the ability to be in the moment and have clarity for the future, the capacity to feel grateful and the power to create what is missing.

When we decide to actively notice, we discover how blind we are! Notice your breathing and attitude, your tone of voice, posture and body language, your reactions and interactions, your environment, your choices, your words…and your silence… notice! Notice what others are doing, saying and asking, and how they are sitting or standing or sounding as they say or do it.

But how is this done? By being present in every moment, by telling yourself to notice, and by reflecting on what you noticed. With practice I’ve learned to set myself in a “mute” mode for a few minutes and just listen, eyes open and fully aware of my surroundings and my emotions. To turn this idea into a habit, try keeping a “Noticing Journal.” At the end of each day write down what you noticed. You might like it, and journaling might become your healthy habit as well. Two for the price of one!

What blocks our ability to notice? When we are invested in a certain outcome, we will only see or hear what we want to perceive. When we are tired or stressed and feeling that we have no time, we pass through our days as if our life were a constant race without a finish line. We may even think we notice, but we don’t. We operate on “automatic pilot” without authentic awareness – without really noticing the precious moments, things, people, comments and events in our lives. So here I pose a question: It is your life, do you notice it?