Taking Mental Snapshots
February 21, 2023
When’s the last time someone asked you how you’ve been and the word “busy” didn’t come to mind?
Life is busy. We all have various commitments and responsibilities, events to attend, and people to see. We often get so caught up in the busyness of it all that we forget to slow down—and perhaps even stop (gasp!). Yes, how often do you take a breath, smell the roses, and commit the moment to memory by taking a mental snapshot?
Taking mental snapshots forces us to be more present and in the moment; they set us up to remember big and small moments in our lives that may have otherwise passed us by in a blur. When we look back upon them, we are reminded of an array of life experiences—from milestones to events that help us identify areas where there’s room for improvement.
Mental snapshots help us remember life’s big events. When I talk with couples who are planning their wedding or commitment ceremony, I encourage them to spend five minutes during their reception looking around the room, capturing the moment, and committing it to memory. A (mental) picture is worth a thousand words, and moments in time like this will be forever imprinted on their brain.
The next time you find yourself rushing around and feeling like life is happening too fast, take a moment to pause and observe your surroundings. Acknowledge what’s happening—whether it be good or bad—process it, and use this time to really soak up the moment. Take a mental picture.
Then, look at the image. Really look at it.
Do you like what you see? If so, keep at it! But if not, here’s your opportunity to make an improvement. Take a thorough look at your mental snapshot and pinpoint what it is that you don’t like. It may be helpful to think of it as simply out of focus. If your picture is a little blurry and needs some metaphorical tweaking, focus on what actionable steps you can take to clarify those out-of-focus elements.
Whether it be a relationship, a behavior, or a goal you haven’t reached that’s making you dislike the image, think about what steps you can take to elicit change. Only then can you begin to implement them to make your image clear.
Life is too short to spend time taking blurry photos. Whether it be a work meeting, a wedding, or a family celebration, always do what you can to ensure your mental snapshots are crystal-clear. And next time someone asks how you’ve been, you can focus less on the busyness of life and more on your mental snapshots.