Switching from Having a Full-Mind to Mind-fulness

Debbie Hatch  |  Family & F.IT.

A good friend recently shared this picture on my Facebook page.  I adore it!

I have spent a ton of time, over the past 12-18 months, working on mindset so I am very aware of the tremendous difference between having a full mind and being mindful.  That hasn’t always been the case.

I know, first-hand, how easy it is to get caught up in being busy, busy, busy…….

I have been a perfection-striving, over-achiever, my entire life.  I gave up weekends with my children, in order to work and focus on being promoted.

I “had to”. “People were relying on me.” “It was important”.

Those are the stories that ran in my head. Oh I used to tell myself, “My family is the most important thing to me!”

but….when it came right down to it, I certainly wasn’t acting that way.

It took getting a text from my teenage daughter that read, “Mom. I miss you. I haven’t seen you in an entire week” for me to reassess.

Wow!

My mind was full…

I was busy and stressed out.

For the past decade, I have been running my own business and spending about 200 days a year on the road.  It’s easy to allow all the travel and commitments to take over my life.

As hard as I strive not to let that happen, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reminded that I still have some work to do!  This is my slow season.  I have been home for 10 days – the longest stretch I’ve not been on the road, since June or July.

Sure, I still have plenty of things to do.  I’ve been catching up on paperwork, governmental reports, and strategic planning. For the most part, though, my scheduled has been my own.  I have appointments but I set them.  I have responsibilities but I decide when to complete them throughout the day.

I have taken the time to add a walk into this schedule, every day.  I have been to two yoga classes (first time in three years!!).  I have taken time to be alone with my thoughts.  

It’s been almost magical.  

Just taking this time to clear my mind and be more aware has allowed me to feel so (so so so) much more relaxed, focused, centered, AND PRODUCTIVE.

That’s the part that surprises so many people.  How can I be more relaxed and, at the same time, more productive?

Rather than being busy, I’m spending time doing the things that are important.

The fact is, we can’t do everything.  There are 24 hours in the day.  We need to stop doing some things if we expect to find time to do the things that are important for us.  Recently, I’ve been saying, “no” more.

We all have commitments. There are things we have to do. Work and responsibilities exist. For all of us. But…

Considering what’s important, – what’s truly important – in this short life, and making that a priority can literally change your life. It’s not an exaggeration. It’s not a concept. It’s not something that only a few (weird) people can experience.

You might not have the ability to completely change your routine right now.  Building in some quiet time, though, even if it’s only a few minutes a day will provide tremendous benefits!

Start by trying to be aware.

• Aware of how you really feel,
• Aware of yourself and your environment,
• Aware of what you say is important – what you’re treating as important – and considering whether those things are aligned or disconnected.

Here’s one thing I’ve heard recently that helps me do this.  I listened to a podcast several months ago. I don’t remember who it was but they suggested not asking, “if I were to die in a week, what would I do between now and then” but rather,

Harsh? Maybe! But, also, very true.

“if the person you love most, in the entire world, were to be diagnosed as terminally ill, today, what things would you do differently? What things would you give up to be with them? What things would you still find the time to do?”

THAT is definitely a quick way to assess what’s important!

That would have caused me to make a number of decision differently.