It's hard to be mindful when we're overwhelmed with info. Its been documented that the human body sends about 11 million bits of information to our brains for processing.  Per second.  Let that sink in.  With all that is currently around you right now in this moment, it seems impossible.  Well contrast that with how much our conscious mind is able to process.  That’s about 50 bits per second.  

Which translates to .00000455% bits of information we’re offered.  Is it really so shocking that we have a hard time focusing?  

Mindfulness is not only a conscious choice, but also must be a deliberate and focused practice.  We need to train our brain to pay attention to what is most important.  Rather than our brain deciding for us.  Because it does.  

So, consider the costs of a lack of attention at work:

• Focusing on the right priorities at the right time
• Giving full attention to others when they need us for problem solving, decision making, collaboration, empathy or simply a human connection
• Completing tasks in a realistic timeframe
• Meeting overload, focusing on the past ones or future ones—not being present in the current one to contribute and collaborate
• Being unaware of your present emotions, not recognizing the myriad of emotions that make up our daily experiences (see podcasts 19 and 20).
• Making choices and taking action based on urgency rather than thoughtful decision making criteria
• Being reactive rather than proactive

Knowing we are collectively facing a significant challenge in staying mindful, here are 3 strategies to get you started.

3 Strategies

1.      Decide when to be mindful.  Let’s face it, being mindful all the time seems a bit daunting. Focus on the situations when mindfulness is most essential.  At the beginning of the day look at your tasks (i.e., your goals and priorities), decide in advance when you will be fully engaged in the present moment.  Consider, plan and make a conscious choice.  

2.      Engage fully with the person or task.  Research suggests we spend approximately 50% of our time thinking backwards or forward.  Not fully aware of the present moment.  Even in listening to this podcast, are you multi-tasking or has your mind wandered at all?  Of course.  We can ruminate on past situations, actions, conversations, decisions, people, for a variety of reasons.  Maybe it’s about regret, or understanding, or to use the past to consider the future.  But regardless of the reason we are not in the moment.  

3.      Single task.  And if you are not yet overwhelmed by compelling data: the average person checks their phone 150 times per day average time spent before interruption 1 minute and 15 seconds; the time it takes our brain to resume the task after being interrupted.  A staggering 25 minutes. (From: Fuzebox.com)  Its said that only 2% of the population can actually multi-task effectively.  The vast majority believe we are in that incredibly small percentage.  Be single focused.  I promise you; you’ll see the results.

The case for more mindfulness is not difficult to make.  The data is grave and the impact on our lives is obvious if we look. To be intentional in life and leadership, we have to learn to pay attention.  Take back our presence.  It’s a gif

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