Making the Most of Today – TPW456

This week I wanted to share some thoughts about a topic that’s been on my mind lately: making the most of today. Learning to make the most of each day can help us focus on what (and who) matters the most to us I learned last week that a best friend from high school, one I'd lost touch with over the years, died not long ago. In addition to the grief and the sorrow for having lost touch until it was too late, I also am reminded of my own mortality. None of us is promised tomorrow, so it behooves us to make the most of today. What does that mean, though, and how can I do it?  10 ideas for making each day matter Often when we think about making the most of the day, we think of getting the most accomplished. That matters, of course, and much of what we talk about on this podcast can help with that. Some of the practical reminders for getting the most accomplishment out of a day:  * Start the night before by resetting your space, preparing for the day’s activities, and setting intentions for the day. Get to bed at a time that will allow you enough sleep to wake ready for what the new day brings.  * Plan our work, then work the plan, using techniques like time blocking, for example, and eliminating distractions.  But when I’ve been pondering lately the need to make the most of each day, I’ve been thinking about something a little different from being productive in the sense of getting stuff done. It’s more about minimizing regrets, about going to bed at night satisfied with how I showed up in the world. Getting stuff done is part of that, to be sure, but no matter how many tasks I check off my to-do list, if I haven’t lived in a way that’s consistent with what I value most, then I feel like the day was, if not wasted, at least a missed opportunity.  The death of someone close to us, even if we haven't been in touch for a while, can be a stark reminder of our own mortality and the fleeting nature of life. Here are a few ideas on how to make the most of today, and every day: 1. Reconnect: Reach out to other people from your past that you've lost touch with. It's never too late to rekindle old friendships.  Even if you, like me, have moved far away from old friends, technology like Zoom or the telephone makes it possible to reconnect with those people. Instead of just liking a Facebook post from that old friend, consider reaching out for an actual conversation. If you have the resources, attend or plan an in-person get-together. Mike and I are looking forward to traveling back to our home state in a couple of weeks for a reunion that’s been planned for the music group we met in during high school, where we’ll get to spend time with people who were such an important part of our life back then but whom we haven’t seen or spoken to in years. 2. Nurture relationships: Spend quality time with the people who matter to you. Tell them how much you love and appreciate them. Create precious memories together.  This summer we’ve been privileged to have our grandsons spend a couple of weeks with us. They live in Hawaii, so we have seldom been able to spend time with them in person.  Thinking about the regret I feel for having lost touch with my high school best friend and the fact that it’s now too late, I’m reminded that it’s just as important to nurture the relationships with the people you live with--your spouse, parents, siblings, even roommates. Mike and I have been married a long, long time, and both when our lives were filled with caring for our five children and even now, when we both have demanding jobs, it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day and not really look each other in the eyes and connect. But one day it will be too late, and I don’t want to regret not having taken the time to talk, to connect,