Life lessons: Seize every moment

I came across a terrific post discussing life lessons by Justin Welsh — it’s a topic I’ve thought a lot about over the years, especially since becoming a new father this year.? If there’s one life lesson that I would pass on it would be to seize the moment (#carpediem). Make a conscious effort to be present and get the most out of every single day. After all, you only live once.?Jeff Bezos summarized this sentiment quite nicely: “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”?

Here are five intentions that I try to implement in my life to ensure that I'm seizing every day and living in the moment.

1. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and offer new perspectives, not break you down.?

In life and in business, there's pressure to spend time with people who don't lift you up and it’s easy to take that bait. I’ve experienced that if you don’t take the bait and you prioritize time with people who offer balanced perspectives while remaining positive, it opens new doors and brings a new level of energy that wouldn't exist if you didn’t choose your circle wisely.?

2. Spend time in the places you love most.

I've lived in a number of homes, and over the years I found that certain places make me feel more present and more connected with who I want to be and where I want to spend my time. As a real estate guy, I’ve taken note of those things and have tried to optimize my life around those places. For example, I love my hometown of Cincinnati for its tightly knit community, and when my wife and I moved to the west coast, we also fell in love with Napa and Lake Tahoe and they quickly became our two favorite places in the world. Buying that home in Tahoe, both the joys and the hassles (renting it out in order to pay the mortgage) helped inspire the idea behind Pacaso where our mission is to empower more people to lead enriched lives by spending more time in the places that bring them joy. Places are very important in the context of living in the moment.

3. Incorporate nature into your daily life — it’s good for the brain and the soul.?

It may not work for everyone, but I find that being in nature makes me feel present and connected to the world and to myself in ways that just aren't possible when I'm inside. Every single day I make a point to spend time outside. It might be a walk in the morning, a quick mountain bike ride, or on occasion I’ll even take a conference call from a hike.?

4. Build exercise into your daily routine.?

In general, I'm exercising 6 to 7 days a week. I find running to be the activity I enjoy the most and to be the most therapeutic. I've recently adopted a new app called Future, which is an automated personal trainer experience that serves as a daily point of accountability with a real human being behind the app that helps me to achieve my fitness goals. Even on those days where my day is absolutely slammed from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. (which happens regularly in the high-growth startup world), I still make a point to exercise, even just for 10 minutes.??

5. Get outside of your comfort zone and do things that scare you.

Now I don't always get to do this, but I regularly try to do something that I fear. What I found is that if you're not a little bit nervous or fearful about some of the things you're trying or learning, you're probably not pushing yourself, your organization or your team to its highest potential. I always strive to do something that I fear because I firmly believe it makes me a better human and empowers me to get the most out of every day in order to help my family, my business and my community make as much progress in the world as possible.?

So, those are my life lessons that encapsulate my passion for seizing the day and getting the most out of life, and I hope these reminders have been helpful. While what works for me may be a little different than what works for you, I will say that it’s fulfilling to wake up every morning and think about the simple fact that time moves fast and we can't get these moments back, so we might as well enjoy them.