Perfecting the present: the 72-hour perspective
We’re obsessed with the future.
We want more money, more success, more clients, more sex—more, more, more.
Happiness is always just around the corner.
We think, if only I were 10 pounds lighter, or if I had that extra $100K in monthly revenue, or if my ex finally realized I was right about everything, I’d…
As a coach, my entire mandate is helping clients get from where they are today to where they want to be. We live in that gap between today and the ideal. (Read The Gap and the Gain—it’s good.)
And yet, we spend so much time planning, strategizing, and analyzing that we become paralyzed.
But what if the secret to a well-lived life isn’t in chasing the goal, but in just 72 hours?
Yesterday
Pick 10 things that you didn’t leave perfect yesterday. Now perfect them. Here’s what came up for me.
❌ I didn’t get dressed early enough because I was working on my website after journaling.
✅ How to perfect: No actual work unless dressed. I can journal in bed with coffee, but work has to happen after I’m dressed.
❌ I was 3 minutes late to a walk with a friend because I worked on my website too close to our meeting time.
✅ How to perfect: Schedule website work as a dedicated block after meeting with a friend.
❌ I worked on my website after the walk but didn’t finish what I was intending to finish, rushed to karate, and had to take a taxi, missing my usual warmup.
✅ How to perfect: Hire someone to physically pry my laptop from my hands or set an alarm to remind me to leave earlier.
❌ I didn’t have time to put on makeup.
✅ How to perfect: Only wear eyeliner and mascara. Besides, foundation just ends up on my karate dogi’s collar.
❌ Forgot to bring water to 2.5 hours of karate classes.
✅ How to perfect: Fill up my water bottle the night before.
❌ I was frazzled during karate when I took on too much responsibility for my lovely drill partner and forgot to focus on my own role.
✅ How to perfect: Focus on my own karate practice instead of what the other person has to do. (Karate is such a microcosm for life.)
❌ I didn’t start this article like I said I would; worked on my website instead.
✅ How to perfect: Set a 5-minute timer to start writing.
❌ I overworked when my brain was tired.
✅ How to perfect: Listen to my body and stop working when my brain is tired.
❌ I ate too much, too close to bedtime and slept badly.
✅ How to perfect: When having to eat out late, eat lightly—and remember that my stomach has limits, even if my enthusiasm does not.
❌ Discussed politics with a family member.
✅ How to perfect: Pause before reacting to family member’s political views, redirecting the conversation.
Small adjustments. Nothing drastic. But collectively, they would have made my day flow better.
Today
Write down five things that are clearly imperfect about today or your life. Now, look for the perfection in each thing. Don’t try too hard. Just let the thought come. Here’s what I came up with:
❌ I’m tired.
✅ I get to take a nap after I publish this.
❌ I’m anxious about a family member.
✅ My family member played an instrument for me last night, and it was fantastic. I trust that she has a guardian angel.
❌ My jeans (which I haven’t worn in a few weeks) feel tight.
✅ These jeans are a good measure of where I am in my body right now.
❌ I’m late publishing this article.
✅ I’m writing, and it feels good.
❌ My business is a conundrum.
✅ My business is a puzzle I get to figure out. It’s basically the IKEA furniture of careers—exciting, slightly confusing, and occasionally requiring a break to cry and eat a box of walnuts.
Life doesn’t have to be perfect, but we can find the perfection in today.
Tomorrow
Write down five things on your calendar. Now, write down ways to perfect them today.
❌ Grant review meeting.
✅ Although I’ve already read and ranked all applications, I could review them again for fun to see if anything stands out.
❌ Call with my assistant.
✅ I’ll check her progress on the website before the meeting and adjust the summary fields as needed.
❌ Group coaching with Cohort A.
✅ I’ll come up with a subject for the session in advance, making it more focused.
❌ Prepare for my trip to Switzerland.
✅ I’ll move my car to a cheaper garage to avoid unnecessary expenses.
❌ Do my weekly review.
✅ I’ll complete it tonight so tomorrow runs smoother.
These small shifts—tiny course corrections—create a better tomorrow.
The rituals
When my kids were little, my first experience with the power of routine came from something as creating a simple checklist that I pasted on the wall. It listed: feed the dog, empty the dishwasher, set the table while enjoying my first cup of coffee. Those small acts created a rhythm, a sense of order in my day.
I recently watched Perfect Days by Wim Wenders three times. The protagonist leads a simple life, yet his days are filled with contentment. There’s a quiet reverence in how he moves through his routine—waking, working, resting—all with an awareness of the moment. He gazes at trees and branches, and we can see that this makes him happy.
It reminded me of my own appreciation for small, anchoring rituals:
Journaling while sipping espresso.
Walking my dog—on the beach, in the park, through the mountains.
Making my bed and looking back at it with satisfaction.
Vacuuming my one-bedroom apartment in NYC.
Folding laundry.
Cleaning my kitchen.
The present moment
Later, I learned how to calm my nervous system through listening to words.
I first encountered The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle in 2009. A boyfriend thought it would help me become less demanding in our relationship (as it turns out, I wasn’t asking for too much). I read a few pages and put it down.
Fast forward to 2013, when I was in full-on depression from love withdrawal. It turns out heartbreak is a lot like the flu—except instead of tea and rest, the prescription was Tolle’s book on Audible and long, existential walks through the Alps. With each step, his voice filled the silence—calm, measured, punctuated by those funny little chuckles, as if he were gently reminding me not to take myself so seriously. I found myself questioning if I was in danger right now, and realized I wasn’t.
And maybe that’s why, at some point, it all started to make sense.
Try it: Your 72 hours
What would perfecting the present look like for you?
Try it:
Look at yesterday—what small things could have been better?
Notice today—where is the hidden perfection?
Prepare for tomorrow—what can you do today to make it better?
And if you ever feel lost, take a breath, step outside, and look at the sky.
It’s always there, waiting for you to notice.
Good one; maybe some of your examples are a bit too private.