Slow It Down Pal

Many business leaders are just too darn busy these days. They tend to spend less time thinking about themselves and their employees, but rather use that time thinking about the bottom line, goals and strategies. You, maybe?

 

By spending so much time on the "work" aspect, they tend to get more physically and emotionally drained than leaders who take time to breath and build relationships. As a result, these "leaders" begin to avoid their relationships, become irritable, aggressive and close-minded.

 

In, Wired For Success (04/11/11), Ray Williams listed a number of key elements to becoming more mindful:

• Pay attention: Focusing 100% of your attention on whatever you are doing
• Be non-judging: take the role of an impartial observer to whatever your current experience is, and don't judge whether things are good or bad.
• Have patience: cultivate the understanding that things must develop in their own time.
• Be in the present moment: Be aware of how things are right now in the present moment, not as they were in the past, or how they might be in the future.
• Non-reactivity: Our brains are built to have you react automatically, without thinking. Mindfulness encourages you to respond to your experience rather than react to your thoughts. Being mindful is a deliberate and intentional choice.
• Have beginner's mind: have the willingness to observe the world as if it was your first time doing so. This creates an openness that is essential to being mindful.
• Trust: have trust in yourself, your intuition, and your abilities.

If you're not doing at least some of these things . . . now may be a good time to take a look them.