Habit 1—Failure to Be Present

Repeated and annoying displays of behavior that indicate that we would rather be somewhere else, some when else, or with someone else.

Within our collective professional experience we find that people today consider themselves to be as busy as they have ever been in their lives. The vast majority of people we work with are being asked to do more with less and do it quicker and better than at any time within their personal memory. This seems to apply to personal arenas just as much as to professional. We feel we are being pulled in more directions than we can manage at work, at home, and, sadly, at play.

Often we can take a peek into the human soul by assessing what people do when they feel they are alone. One place that provides the illusion of privacy is behind the wheel of a car. For some reason we feel free to do just about anything while driving. What have you observed other drivers doing while they “multitask” on the road? The easy answers are talking on the phone, eating a snack (or a meal), smoking, texting, and e-mailing. How about shaving, putting on mascara, and flossing teeth—all while controlling a vehicle of significant mass traveling at 70 miles per hour in traffic?