525,600 minutes. That’s how you measure a year. In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. If you are familiar with the musical Rent, sorry, that song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day now. But maybe that’s OK…shouldn’t we all think about how every minute in our life counts for something, especially in this last year?

I know many of us experience days where literally every moment of our day is programmed. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? I know I’m not alone when I tell you that half of every work day is usually spent in Zoom meetings.

There are some Monday mornings when I already start thinking about the next weekend and how I can’t wait for it to be Friday. Maybe it’s all the meetings on my calendar that I know will tie me to my desk for hours on end. When I start focusing on the future, I often need to ask myself why I’m trying to rush through the day. I get to go to an office full of people who make coming to work fun. I get to connect with prospective students about their college search. I get to interact with current students and hear about their college life. I get to be a part of something bigger than myself and create a path for students of the future. I’m willing to bet you can say some of the same things about your day. Yes, it can be tiresome, but why wish it all away?

There’s nothing wrong with being excited about what lies ahead, but don’t you think if you get too caught up in what’s next, that you’ve forgotten to enjoy the journey?

So how can we change this mindset? If we could each just take one day at a time, imagine how we all would interact with each other. Imagine what we would gain from each day and each event in our life. Each day is a gift. Why can’t we just make the most of it, enjoy the time we have with people, and not be anxious about the next thing to come?

The reality is, it’s hard to live this way. With all the pressures we feel from day to day, it’s difficult to take the time to stop and remember to take in each experience. 

So I ask each of you…add some breathing room into your life. Even if it’s just five minutes in your day. Schedule it! Then ask yourself - what experience in your life do you find yourself really living in the moment? Is there a time when you are away from your computer, your phone, where you are not constantly wondering what’s next? Where do you find yourself fully immersed and focused on enjoying that specific moment or activity? Once you figure that out, ask yourself – what is it about this activity that brings me so much joy? How am I able to fully unplug and make the most of this experience? Consider how you can apply those same techniques every day, or at least any day you are trying to rush through.

As the minutes keep ticking by in these unusual times, I hope you are filling those minutes with the people and experiences that bring you the most joy. If you haven’t done that yet today, this is your reminder!