2 min read
Have you ever arrived at work after a morning where everything that could go awry, did? The alarm clock didn’t go off, there was no yogurt in the fridge, and the car got a flat tire on the drive in. When you actually sat down at your desk, your email was blowing up with people who needed your attention right NOW and you had an important presentation, but your slides somehow decided to not cooperate at the crucial moment.
Life doesn’t always ask for our preferences before getting on with the day’s events but practicing mindfulness can activate our ability to jump in the driver’s seat of our own lives, no matter what creative scenarios may land on our plate.
Being proactive is the art of knowing where your sphere of influence is and investing your resources there. Perhaps you cannot know who is going to bring you stress on any particular day, but you can know and practice how to calm and focus your self so you have a chance to live in line with your values.
Rather than expecting someone else to change their opinions or behaviors, being proactive means that you consciously choose how to respond to others agendas and moods. It’s not easy, but it certainly is effective.
What’s more, it actually expands your circle of influence as you open up a world of opportunities and positive energy.
Practicing mindful breathing is a fantastic way to connect to your inner strengths, courage and calmness to stand strong and pro-active.
Try this one for a week anytime you notice yourself feeling agitated or on the verge of doing or saying something you may regret.
- Sit comfortably and begin to notice your natural breath as it travels in and out of your nose.
- Start to even out your inhales and exhales so they are approximately the same length…for example, inhale for a count of 4 and exhale to a count of 4. Do this for several rounds.
- Extend your exhale to twice as long as your inhale. If you inhale for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 8. Do this for at least 3 cycles or until you start to feel calmer.
- Repeat as often as you like or as needed.
Being proactive is knowing where your action makes the most difference and working there. Rather than trying to change the world, we first change ourselves and then watch the ripples…
TimeXtender is a high-performance organization and therefore practicing mindfulness, silence in meetings and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" are 3 crucial parts of TimeXtender's DNA & Culture in order to stay balanced in a busy life and workplace.
Stay tuned for next week's blog on 'starting with the end in mind'.
Because time matters, we engage fully charged.
