1. Mentally
be fully present and engaged in the current task.
Presence is
foundational for focus and mindfulness. It means always paying full
attention to the people, objects, and ideas around you. Practice by
making a conscious decision to intentionally be more present with a team
member, with a client, at a meeting, or at home.
2. Deliver
rational responses rather than impulsive reactions.
This requires
patience, or the ability to endure some discomfort and stay calm in the
face of challenging situations. Patience is more concerned with larger
goals, rather than temporary quick-fix solutions. Practice by stopping
and taking a few breaths to calm down, before reacting.
3. Choose
to always give honest and constructive feedback.
Show kindness. Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you. Practice by incorporating
kindness in every interaction with people, by showing attention,
respect, understanding, and acceptance. You will improve everyone’s
productivity, and make yourself happier as well.
4. Approach
every situation with a beginner’s mind.
Without a beginner’s mind, what
you have seen and done in the past, called habitual perception, can be
problematic. It means you may not actually see today’s reality. Practice
by overtly rejecting any habitual perceptions, and challenging yourself
to be more curious in your day-to-day activities.
5. Refrain
from extended fighting with problems you can’t solve.
Acceptance is the
realization that every problem can’t be solved, and frustration or
anger won’t resolve the issue. It will just make you less effective and
less happy. Practice by choosing to move on, without carrying an inner
battle, when you have exhausted all reasonable efforts.
6. Balance
your focus between instant gratification and discomfort work.
Consciously identify the tasks that come easy to you, such as email and
texting, versus tougher tasks, maybe including customer complaints or
confronting coworkers. Practicing awareness of balance will lead to a
change in your level of quick distraction and long-term avoidance.
7. Proactively
seek moments of joy throughout your day.
Most of us are “always on,”
always connected, and always running, all day. The key to cultivating
joy is to anticipate at least some activities you enjoy daily. Many
people find joy in just sitting still for a few minutes in quiet
contemplation. Others find an occasion to smile or laugh every day.
8. Consciously
let go of heavy thoughts and distractions. Letting go is a simple but
powerful mental strategy to clear your mind and refocus on the task at
hand. Let go of a problem stuck in your head, or frequent distractions,
such as a new email or text message. Practice by periodically relaxing
and breathing to refocus your thoughts.
Without these mindfulness initiatives, most people
will find their ability to focus at work declining. We all face the same
information overload, increased pressure to move fast, and highly
distracted work reality. Our attention is continuously under siege,
leading to fewer results. Have you noticed an impact on your
productivity, health, and happiness? Now may be the time to increase
your focus.
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