Author : Sabrina Schleicher, Ph.D.
"You have absolute control over but one thing, and that is your thoughts. If you fail to control your own mind, you may be sure you will control nothing else." --Napoleon HillWe all know the deleterious side effects of eating junkfood on a daily basis, but rarely do we think about the effect of feeding our mind junkfood everyday. Yet, when we let our minds run amok, this has the same deleterious effect on our overall well-being as does eating junkfood. Gaining control over your mind, specifically, how you direct your attention, is crucial to tapping your full potential.Most intelligent, successful individuals have difficulty focusing their attention fully in the moment. Perhaps your mind becomes cluttered with new ideas and you feel overwhelmed with thoughts about how to implement these ideas. Perhaps you think about work during your leisure time, or vice versa. When was the last time you drove somewhere and paid full attention to driving, not playing with the radio, talking on a cell phone, or planning your day?Most of the time, our minds our elsewhere. More mundane tasks, such as driving, washing the dishes, sitting in a meeting, or sorting e-mail, just do not capture our attention and our minds wander. However, we also may be distracted when pursuing other, more engaging activities, such as reading a good novel, biking, playing tennis, or talking with others. This is because we bombard ourselves with "busy-ness" on a daily basis, and feel as though we must multi-task to keep up the pace. Ultimately, this increases our stress level.In his book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh explores the art of doing one thing at a time through mindfulness. Mindfulness allows you to truly take hold of your mind. When you do so, you have the full capacity of your mind available to you and the possibilities are endless. Your stress level diminishes considerably when you clear your mind of busy-ness and mental clutter to focus fully in the present moment. The quality of your attention improves dramatically. You come to each task fully present and alert. New possibilities arise as you enhance your creativity and problem-solving abilities.While being fully present in the moment sounds simple, it actually is quite difficult for most of us to implement. Some of my clients have told me they find it frustrating to attempt mindfulness because their minds are always "on the go" and they just can't focus fully in the moment. I can relate to this myself because mental multi-tasking became a survival strategy for me in graduate school. I had so many obligations and responsibilities that I convinced myself that I had to think about multiple projects at once. In actuality, all this did was increase my stress level. Even when I had the opportunity to slow down, I had difficulty doing so.When we are accustomed to thinking about several things at once, it can be quite difficult to slow down to fully experience the moment. So, be patient with yourself as you attempt to practice mindfulness. You are unlearning some well-ingrained, but very unproductive, mental habits.Begin by using your senses to notice the world around you—what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell—in this very moment. If you find your mind wandering, just notice that, and gently redirect your attention to the present moment. If you are walking, walk. If you are listening, just listen. If you are driving, just drive. Start by setting a goal of focusing fully in the moment for one minute. When you first attempt mindfulness, you are likely to find your mind wandering after just a few seconds. Don't get impatient with yourself if that happens, just notice that your mind wandered and redirect your attention.The practice of mindfulness can be done anytime and anywhere. It is an opportunity to slow your pace, focus your attention, and heighten your awareness. When you become more skilled at focusing your attention fully in the moment, you will increase your productivity, reduce your stress, and improve your capacity for creative problem-solving.Would you like to experience more success and have more time for what truly matters to you? As your coach, I will assist you to develop effective, personalized strategies to achieve the success and lifestyle you envision for yourself. Contact me at http://www.tapthepotential.com/signup.html to schedule your complimentary coaching session.
Keyword : peak performance, optimal functioning, mindfulness, stress, in the moment, productivity, success
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