Visiting Boston last week and taking a tour of New England enabled me to check off items that had been on my wish list for a long time. Finally making the time to go, it was different from my usual choice of holiday.

Having identified my preferred itinerary in advance, I could relax in the knowledge that everything was taken care of and simply focus on the experience and my enjoyment of it, whilst taking lots of photos – not all of leaves!

It was an opportunity to focus awareness on my immediate surroundings and take in all the sights and sounds, without distraction.

It occurs to me that a spot of ‘spontaneous downtime’ is always of benefit and yet we tend to engage in it mindfully, only when on holiday. Leaves are leaves when all said and done and I could choose to pay attention to the changing colours of autumn as I run in the park or drive into work.

So, why was it a more compelling experience in the States? Because there was nothing else crying out for my attention; all I had to do was focus on what I was doing in that moment. I didn’t have to prioritise taking photographs over getting to a meeting on time.

As a Coach, being fully present with clients is a skill we work on with our Coach Mentors; as its one of the exquisite skills associated with coaching mastery. You don’t need to be in a coaching relationship to benefit though and I would invite you, periodically to become conscious of what’s going on for you in a given moment. It could mean the difference between pressing ahead with something that isn’t in your best interest or changing direction to take up an opportunity you may otherwise have missed.