Your presence is a gift

This is a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of retro cereal boxes. It currently hangs on the wall inside my pantry. While it might look like nothing more than a puzzle, it holds unforgettable memories and an important lesson about presence and the gift of intentionality.

After my grandma Janet passed away at the end of April 2015, spending time with my grandpa Dale was my top priority. My family is small, and we knew he’d need abundant love and support as he grieved.

He lived a short drive from my parents’ home, so we spent a lot of time together. He invited my sister and me over to swim at the pool, took us out to lunch, and would swing by our house, even if only to say a quick hello.

When the 4th of July weekend rolled around that summer, we picked up this puzzle at a craft supply store. I remember how much he loved the way it looked. Although he had never been one for puzzles, he agreed to purchase it anyway.

We took the puzzle to his home, pulled out a pop-up table, and got to work.

I remember:

• The way he kept sliding his glasses up his nose as he reached across the table to grab a piece

• How he’d yell, “I am just no good at this!” or “I suck!” when he’d try to connect pieces that didn’t fit together

• Shamelessly bragging and poking fun at him because my puzzling skills were so much better than his

• Our casual conversation about random topics we’d raise to break the silence

This may be because it’s one of my last memories of him, but I vividly remember building that puzzle together. Even so, something else was at play that engrained this simple moment into my memory: being fully present and available to soak it all in.

There were no distractions. I wasn’t multitasking, letting my mind wander, or half-paying attention to the conversation or the puzzle. We were there, wholly lost in time together, doing a simple activity but soaking up every minute.

We value the people in our lives, whether they’re blood relatives, spouses, friends, siblings, half-siblings, neighbors, coworkers, kids, or anyone else on the list. (This includes our pets!)

How we show up is just as important as who we choose to show up for. Your presence is the best gift you can give to the people you care about.

It’s a gift for you and may even become a gift to your future self (much like the puzzle memory has for me).

This week, I encourage you to identify one conversation, relationship, or situation in which you will commit to being present. I’d love to hear how it goes!

Time Well Spent: Weekly Roundup

1. I partnered with the Clockwise team this week to help launch their upcoming campaign, and I am so excited! Clockwise is hosting Calendar Cleanup Week January 27-30, 2025. If you want to create a more intentional workday schedule, Calendar Cleanup Week is for you. Clockwise partnered with best-in-class experts (Brian Elliott, Lorraine K. Lee, Manuela Bárcenas, and Clockwise CEO Matt Martin) to create simple daily checklists to help workers simplify their schedules and reclaim their workday. What I love most about this campaign is that it encourages workers to consider whether their workday schedule aligns with their preferences and intentionally uses their time.

2. Thanks to Groove, a work-from-home coworking community app, I spent time with some of my favorite people (Roger Coles, Sam Dubeau, and Justin Schaeffer) this week. Grooves are structured work sessions with five minutes to share what you’re working on, 50 minutes of focus time, and five minutes to regroup at the end to discuss how it went. My favorite thing about this is that we don’t have to work together on the same projects, with the same clients, or for the same business, yet we are coworkers supporting each other. We’re breaking traditional workplace norms and having fun while doing it. Try Groove for free for 30 days!*

3. (Less exciting but still important): I saw my eye doctor and dentist this week, which was a big deal! I value my health, but I avoid all medical and wellness-related appointments because of fear and anxiety. And yet, I also know it’s tough to live an intentional and value-aligned life if you don’t follow through and take the actions that support your values (even when it’s scary 🫣).

The Takeaways

• Can you identify new opportunities to be more intentional in your workday? Consider what your typical workday looks like and how it feels to you. Is your schedule intentional, or is it on autopilot? Where can you adjust it to better align with what matters most?

• Are you intentional about who you surround yourself with? Are there non-traditional options (like Groove was for me!) that you might consider to create the community you seek in various parts of your life? 

• How might you conquer, befriend, or lean into your fears to prioritize something important to you? Small fears count!

Time Intentional 🕰️ Reader Love 💞

I met Lucy in the Designing Your Next Career Step course I mentioned in last week’s issue, and she’s been with me every step of the way as I brainstormed how to bring Time Intentional to life. She is my kindred spirit, and I am so lucky to have her in my corner. She’s also writing on Substack. Please check out her work!

Brianne Fleming caught me off-guard (in the best way) when she gave Time Intentional a shout-out during #PopChat. Brianne is a brand builder, marketing instructor, and the queen of all things pop culture. I’m a real big fan of her newsletter, By Popular Demand. You can join us for #PopChat on Fridays at 11 am MT on LinkedIn.

One More Thing Before You Go…

I’m Alyssa Towns, and this is Time Intentional, a newsletter exploring what it means to spend our limited (and precious) time intentionally. Only you can decide how to spend your time in a way that feels intentional!

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In addition to writing Time Intentional, I’m a freelance writer and content creator who enjoys partnering with brands to build better workplaces (because we spend a lot of time at work!). Learn more about my areas of specialization on my website!

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