We often hear about how mindfulness is one of the best ways to clear our heads, promote positivity and keep moving forward in life. It’s a self-help addict’s dream – the perfect, at-home way to be more zen every day, and it works as long as you’re willing to put the effort in.
However, anyone who has spent any time in the world of business knows that business is anything but zen. It’s hectic, it’s fast-paced, it’s chaotic. It requires an iron grit, impeccable sense and lots of resilience.
Essentially, if your mind is a flower, mindfulness is the fertilizer that allows it to grow – but business is the steamroller that runs it over, likely working on a new development project for a metropolitan Starbucks location. At face value, mindfulness and business don’t sync up at all.
…Actually, this isn’t entirely accurate. The trick is not to think of business as the antithesis of mindfulness, but instead that mindfulness can bolster your business acumen.
How Mindfulness Can Support Being Business Savvy
Sometimes a businessperson needs to find calm within the storm. The world of finance, stock trading, marketing decisions and long nights in the office is one that’s hectic, but the person within it must think clearly in order to make good decisions. When you’re overwhelmed with all you have to do in business, your decisions don’t’ always come out the best.
Think about a big decision you’ve had to make in life. Would you rather approach the idea with a frazzled mind or one that’s clear and absolute?
Understand the mindfulness doesn’t equate ignorance – it doesn’t mean you’re walking around without a thought in your head, clueless as to the world around you. It means that even though you have a lot to think about, you’re clear-headed and focused on the now.
Business can create insurmountable stress within a person simply because they constantly have to think about the future – how will my fiscal projections pan out? What will my marketing stats look like? How long can I sustain my business at this level of profit? Are these questions all silly, nonsensical quandaries? No; they’re obviously important to consider.
But mindfulness puts them into perspective by asking you one thing – if what’s done is done, why not focus on what you can do right now to change things instead of waiting for the inevitable?
Above all, mindfulness is about appreciating your ability to live within the moment, and that’s also important to consider without putting business into the equation. Constantly thinking about ad campaigns and sales numbers can drive a person crazy, and mindfulness techniques can help deliver a person to a happier place. Not every waking moment should be about business – this kind of environment can stress a person out to the point of illness.
Consider mindfulness as a secret weapon. Many in the business world continue to focus on go, go, go strategies of getting things done instead of focusing on the present in a calm and collected way. This isn’t a hindrance – it’s a benefit you can definitely use to your advantage.
