For most of us, January is a month of
fresh starts. New goals, new diets, new financial or physical fitness routines.
We reflect on the past year to develop plans for the new year. Past. Future.
How about this year, you include the Present
by bringing mindfulness into your daily
personal and business lives?
Mindfulness is defined as “the quality
or state of being conscious or aware of something.” It’s a mental state
achieved by focusing on the present moment, while being aware of, and
accepting, your feelings and thoughts.
Every day there are moments we miss because we don’t allow ourselves the
time to stop, look, and listen for the lesson, the opportunity, or the magic
that may be in the here and now.
“Sometimes you will never know the
value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr.
Seuss
Research has shown that in the
workplace, mindfulness improves focus, attention, and behavior. An article
in Science Daily cites a Case Western
Reserve University study which found that “injecting a corporate culture of
mindfulness not only improves focus, but the ability to manage stress and how
employees work together.” The study also
found that mindfulness:
·
Has a positive
impact on human functioning overall
·
Affects
interpersonal and workgroup relationships
·
Improves
relationships through greater empathy and compassion
“The more I give myself permission to
live in the moment without feeling guilty or judgmental about any other time,
the better I feel about the quality of my work.” – Wayne Dyer
When we are mindful, we are fully
aware of where we are and what we are doing. We are focused in the moment. This helps us take
advantage of “the space” between stimulus and response to gain clarity around
our intention and to act accordingly.
Think about if you were to just take a minute or two before a
presentation or before a big meeting or before a difficult conversation to just
close your eyes, breathe, and suspend thoughts and concerns about anything
other than the matter at hand. How might that sharpen your focus? Result in a
more positive outcome?
An extension of this is meditation, which is not just for yogis
anymore! In fact, according to an article in the Harvard Business Review, How Meditation Benefits CEOs, meditation is growing in popularity among senior executives “because there’s something to meditation that
appears to benefit CEOs more than recreation or relaxation do alone.” Meditation:
·
Builds resilience
·
Boosts emotional
intelligence
·
Enhances
creativity
·
Improves your
relationships
·
Helps you focus
If you’re
interested in learning more about meditation and how to get started, you might
want to check out Jack Kornfield’s book, Meditation
for Beginners. Jack Kornfield is an American author and one of the key
teachers to introduce mindfulness to the West.
In the meantime,
start reaping the benefits of mindfulness now by beginning and ending each day
with a few moments of silence. With practice, you will achieve renewed focus
and clarity, and open the door to enhanced self-discovery and abundant
opportunities.
Let’s become the
cutting-edge leaders of 2017 by creating a wave of mindfulness.
“Your experience of life is not based on your
life, but what you pay attention to.” – Gregg
Krech, author and Founder of the ToDo Institute
Lead on,
Rebecca
