Focusing on the present

Nov 24, 2009 Tuesday, 03:37 PM

Actress Wong Lilin blogs about not letting obstacles upset her plans.

I'VE had the privilege of meeting many successful individuals the world over and I have been struck by a similar trait they share - the ability to not be fazed.

Behemoth obstacles and niggly details are greeted with the composure of one who expects hiccups in the course of work. And they seem to not let it get the better of them, instead loving the task of resolving any challenges.

A friend of mine who helms PepsiCo for a major Asian market came into town for an environmental conference recently. At dinner, I was expecting him to be too tired to talk about work after a day of schmoozing with other execs.

Instead he asked intently about my Loopz exercise band business and couldn't contain his excitement about the possibilities of marketing and positioning the brand. I was amazed at how creative he was at getting around situations. He contributed actively and hummed with twinkly eyes when presented with some issues.

A recent conversation with Stuart Wason brought up the same discourse.

"Can your worry solve anything?" he asked an anxious businessman. "Not really" he said. "Well then, let it go" advised Stuart.

Stuart is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Headspace Sg, an entity that helps SMEs develop their dreams.

In his telling the businessman to let go of the worry, he was redirecting the activity of worry to being proactive about what needs getting done. And that is to present ideas and solutions snug in the right perspectives and with a smile.

One of the first things Stuart told me was to 'mine what I already have'.

What do I have? A rich skill set, a great product, possibilities for further program development, an excellent relationship with a major retailer in Singapore to name but a few.

Have I mined that to its full capacity? Not really. It's interesting practice actually. It forced me to look at what I personally possess and what I believe in and it made me look hard at what I already enjoy with the people around me. It forced me to take stock.

It really is a lesson in being in the Present and also finding, then translating your groove.