We live in a society where people and things can constantly distract us. Mindfulness is a concept that has been around for many years, but is becoming more commonplace of a subject. Simply defined, mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. It basically means to be present in all ways.
Why is this important for business?
Mindfulness is crucial to the success of a business. When one is focused on what is happening in front of them, they will be more successful. Think about it. Let’s say you’re in a business meeting with a prospective client but instead of listening to the client and meeting their needs, you are writing a story in your head or thinking about a problem at home. Do you think you will land that client? Probably not.
Now think about that same situation except this time you are watching the client’s body language and listening not just to what they are saying but what they are not saying. Then you respond to them letting them know you really care and want to help them be successful. Do you think the client is more likely to give you their business? Of course they are!
Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc all agree that there are many valuable things that can come out of mindfulness in business:
Give you better focus. Mindfulness will keep you in the moment and what is happening in front of you. Other noises, conversations, and thoughts will not distract you. You will be able to dig deeper into the task at hand and excel quicker than if you were not being mindful.
Heighten productivity. Having a better focus will increase your productivity as you will be able to get more done. Being mindful of what is going on in front of you will keep you from having to constantly refocus and remember where you were or what you were doing.
Improve creativity. Once all the minutiae is out of the way, your mind will allow itself to bring things to the forefront that it might not if it were clouded with other issues. You will begin to think of ideas and discover efficiencies you have never thought of before.
Communicate more effectively under stress. A big part of mindfulness is to acknowledge your feelings but not staying stuck in them. This allows you to think more clearly about the situation at hand and in addition to the clarity previously discussed, you can more clearly communicate because your thoughts are clear and emotions are in check.
Turn failure into a positive feeling. Some of the biggest figures in history failed before they found success. They didn’t see failure as something debilitating, but as an opportunity to get better and improve whatever they were working on. By viewing failure as a positive, you save time and effort to be able to find the right solution.
Increase your self-confidence. When all of the above are being practiced, you will feel more in control of yourself and that will increase your self-confidence. With an increase in self-confidence you will continue to improve pretty much area of your life.
Mastering mindfulness is a process but it is just like exercising – the more you do it, the easier and more natural it will become. If you are a decision maker in your business, encouraging employees to practice mindfulness will help bring your company to a new level.
VA on the Spot can help pick up the time-consuming tasks so your business can focus on more important things like mindfulness and productivity. To see how we can help you reclaim your time contact us today!