The topic of mindfulness has become an increasingly popular subject among self-improvement enthusiasts and life coaching gurus. Instead of discussing this concept in the abstract, Dr. Tony writes about the nuts’n’bolts of mindfulness. What is it? How do I use it? What is an effective technique for self-improvement through mindfulness? Below is a quick but enlightening read with an effective technique from Dr. Tony to help get you “out” of mindless habits and re-calibrated for more mindful ones.
Face it, with so much information coming at us every second of every day, we all could use some help with memory, recall, and ability to de-fragment our brains so we can absorb information more effectively. There a several things one can do to up your brainpower. Being “mindful” is one of those tools.
To be mindful, means to be fully alert to the moment and what you’re doing in that moment. Have you ever driven some place yet literally don’t remember parts of the drive. That’s the exact opposite of being mindful, not to mention dangerous. When we were young this never happened to us but as we get older we can go onto auto pilot and literally miss parts of our lives. Besides the potential of causing an accident, we are also in danger of relying on the autopilot throughout our day. Each of us has to make a mindful, conscious decision to shut the autopilot off.
Do Something Different Every Day
If you’re not doing something different focus on what you are doing and short circuit the autopilot switch. You won’t believe the difference this will make.
Once you are more deliberate and mindful of where you put your keys when you come in the house the less time you’ll spend wondering where in the world they could be. Make a list of six or seven mindless actions you do every day. You don’t need to change what you do just be aware of what those entail when you’re doing them each day. Do them mindfully instead of mindlessly.
This article was first published on Dr. Tony Alessandra’s blog: Platinum Rules for Success
Dr. Tony Alessandra is a behavioral and communication expert, and author of 30+ books including The Platinum Rule, Collaborative Selling and The Art of Managing People. Today he is a leading business motivational speaker on communication, customer loyalty and sales.
