I recently listened to THIS podcast on mindfulness and meditation.
Actually … I almost didn’t listen because I get so frustrated with the whole darn mindfulness + meditation thang.
I know deep down that I neeeeeed to meditate … But, ugh, how?
And who has the time?
And why can’t I stop my monkey mind?
So, because I can’t seem to make it happen I immediately feel like a failure, which makes me feel like crap about myself, which makes me instantly hate meditation.
BUT … I know it’s something I need to figure out … so I sit back down … muster up my mindfulness strength … and try again.
4-minutes in, I’m over it and back on to my to-do list.
Once again feeling like a big ol’ fat meditation failure.
Any of that sound familiar?
Yet, I keep reading that high achiever after high achiever has some sort of mindfulness practice, so I am determined to find a way to make this work.
All that said, on my way to the airport for a recent biz trip I put on this podcast and let it keep me company.
(PS – this is one of my favorite things to do btw … podcast while driving, walking, putting on makeup, etc)
Oh … my … God.
It was like a little mindfulness miracle that came down from the heavens just for me.
And it was a very REFRESHING perspective shifter on what it really means to be “mindful”.
Here are a few of my favorite things I learned while listening that may give you a different perspective too:
The real definition of Mindfulness. Intentional Attention.
I love this!
In a nutshell, this means that anytime you become aware of your attention you are freaking doing the damn thing.
Mindfulness is not just sitting in a Yogi pose, eyes closed, on a cushion, incense burning, in total perfect zen. It means just being intentional about your attention. So … you could do this so many times throughout the day:
- On the conference call
- In the meeting
- With your kids
- When talking to a friend
- Checking out at the Grocery Store and paying attention to the checker
- When ordering a coffee
- On the plane
- Driving
There is no such thing as multi tasking.
Study after study shows this is not even possible.
And that it’s actually dangerous.
So simply making it a goal to work on just ONE THING at a time is mindfulness. You are being intentional with your attention. Boom!
Start with one-minute of mindfulness.
That alone can get the job done.
Then work your way up to 3-minutes, 5-minutes.
You do not need to have a massive mediation practice to be mindful. This freed me up in so many ways and was so encouraging.
Take micro-breaks in your day.
You likely already have these built into your day … things like a coffee or tea break, a walk, a drive to pick up the kids, lunch breaks, etc.
So, simply being aware for the few minutes you are in those moments IS mindfulness. No phone, no TV, no radio, no podcast.
Just you, the moment and gratitude for it.
Your Mental Game matters!
And mindfulness, even a few minutes a day, is how you get there.Studies at Stanford are doing research on this and finding that your success really lies in your ability to make good decisions.
And think of how many decisions you have to make every damn day!
- Are you mentally fit enough for everything that comes at you?
- Are you making the right yes decisions and the right no decisions?
Mindfulness, even a few minutes a day, allows you to get focused and clear. Which increases your mental game.
The bottom line … Even 1-minute of mindfulness can work wonders.
And starting small … then building from there is your secret weapon.
So, instead of saying “Ok, I will meditate 15-minutes a day” then flake out after 3 days of barely making it, start with 1-minute then work up to maybe 5-minutes.
Remember – be intentional about your attention … that’s all it takes
And you can do that standing in line at the grocery store.
Now that is a vibe I can get down with.
Made with Love.
