I wish I had not waited most of my adult life figuring this out. I am not a therapist, nor do I claim to be one. I am offering guidance based on what has helped me through my experiences.
When I say being mindful, I mean to be in the moment:
Find joy in everything you do.
You might be thinking that there is no way to find joy in cleaning the toilet. But you can find joy and take pride in a job well done.
Being mindful helps you slow down, focus, and remove distractions while concentrating on the task at hand.
Multitasking can steal life’s moments. –Stop doing it! This is the key to my happiness-one thing at a time!
Be present and in the moment while playing with the kids, eating dinner with family and friends. In 5 years, the memories that you are creating are far more important than having a clean house or what you are looking at on social media
When you are preparing a presentation for work but allowing yourself to scroll Facebook, answer the telephone and talk with a coworker; what is the likely hood that your presentation is going to be an exhibit of your best work?
Task Switching / Multitasking – do not do it!
Many believe multitasking saves time, but studies show that the opposite is true.
What we are doing is ‘task switching.’ When we take our attention off one task to do another you have to refocus once you return to the original task. Refocusing and collecting our train of thought, in the end, is a time killer and perhaps the job you have performed is not at the quality expected.
Multitasking can lead to a lack of direction, feeling overwhelmed, disorganized, anxious, and lead to procrastination. Being busy often means you are not being effective.
Practice eliminating distractions while cooking, eating, engaging in conversation, exercising, doing chores. If you are focused on achieving the best results you can the enjoyment is increased.
Be in the moment. The moment matters.
Find the reason it matters.
If you cannot find a reason it matters than eliminate it.
Happy people condition themselves to be happy. It is a state of mind and stems from:
- Gratitude for what you have.
- Celebrate what you have achieved.
- Success is how you define it so embrace your success.
- Do not take criticism from someone you would not ask for advice.
- Forgiveness.
Learn more: 10 Essential Steps to Increase Productivity