Mindfulness even in its smallest doses is powerful beyond belief. – Lisa Martin
Let’s speak candidly. You have priorities outside the office. Big priorities. And sometimes thoughts of those things seep into your consciousness as you’re leading a meeting, giving a presentation or shaking hands with a new client.
You’re human. It’s all good. Don’t beat yourself up about it.
Having said this, it’s helpful to be able to wrangle the mind. And by wrangling, I mean gently, compassionately coaxing it to focus on the moment at hand.
Are you adept at this?
[Tweet “How much time do you spend in the present moment, undistracted by other things?”]
Check out these 5 statements. How true is each for you?
- When I’m working, I gently turn down thoughts of other things.
- When someone at work speaks to me, I calmly focus on what they are saying. I don’t plan my response as they speak.
- I let problems at home leave my mind when I’m working.
- I can sit in an hour-long meeting without checking the web or email.
- I can focus on a task undistracted for an hour or two at a time.
If you confidently answered ‘true’ to 4 or 5 of these statements, you’re often in the present moment as you’re working.
If less than 4 of these statements are true for you, distraction is likely limiting your ability to focus. Trust me, you’re not alone.
Leadership Development: Take action now to improve your mindfulness. Pick one the statements and commit to practicing it for the next 30 days. Don’t worry about slip-ups along the way…just keep going.
At first mindfulness comes in small, almost imperceptible steps. But even in its smallest doses, it’s potent beyond belief.
If you liked this blog post, you’ll love my book Lead + Live Advanced: 6 Practices to Master the Art of Thriving.
Lisa Martin has made it her mission to help companies keep and cultivate leaders. She’s the creator of the Lead + Live Better leadership programs, author of five books, including the bestselling Briefcase Moms, and she is a seasoned speaker, facilitator and executive coach.