As you start your week off strong, remember that every athlete knows that rest is a vital part of performance, and even Olympians take a break. Although you want to tackle the entire world at lightning speed, it’s important to take calculated breaks as part of this approach, before this approach starts to tackle you.
Although it seems paradoxical, unstoppable leaders know that stopping at tactical moments is a massive part of the success equation.
This is not about steeling yourself until you can get a holiday. Daily rest and recharging is a lifestyle, and just a few minutes of being mindful and present can make a world of difference. Studies show that just ten minutes of mindfulness meditation can reduce anxiety, improve your memory, and offer a plethora of other benefits.
How do you start? It all begins with being present.
Make it a habit to unplug from the digital world and plug into your conscious thinking. Observe what you are thinking. Are you in the past or the future? Mindfulness is a state of mind that has the ability to pay attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the moment.
So pause, reflect, and focus on the now. Notice what distracts you. Any reason why? Is it merely a habit? Make being present the new habit. Being present allows us to become aware of our thoughts – and where they come from – and if they are beneficial or not. So we can change them. Our thoughts inform our decisions which affects our behavior or the action we take which determines our success.
A small bit of conscious rest during the day can have a dramatic impact on your success and feelings of fulfillment.
Ten minutes may seem like a lot to you. Fair enough. With the onslaught of a thousand things that need your attention, I get it. But daily presence work is an absolute necessity for unstoppable conscious leaders. So here’s my challenge for you: Are you willing to practice training your mind to be present for one minute a day to start?
Here’s what it looks like:
Pick a word you hold sacred and love to meditate on. Set your timer for one minute.
Get comfortable. Start. Close your eyes and meditate on your word. If your mind wanders notice if you are in the past or the future. Then bring yourself back to present by refocusing on your sacred word.
As you relax into this and become more confident you can increase your practice for three minutes. And once you start to notice the benefits, it will become easier to chunk out time and make this an integral part of your lifestyle.
Looking for more information on how to be mindful and improve your leadership? Work with me directly in The StillPoint Experience.