I was invited to speak at a conference recently on Elevating Performance Through Clarity. It was for a group of busy business owners and senior leaders who were looking for ways to improve productivity and a chaotic industry, which I think many people can relate to, so I thought I’d share part of that presentation here.
I focussed on three areas:
- Getting Clear (on what’s important)
- Clear the Mind
- Clear the Deck (focusing on your ‘one thing’)
I’m going to focus on Clearing the Mind in this blog, as this is an area I’ve been implementing change in and it’s having a major impact.
Most people think in order to be more successful, you need to work harder. Yet, how many of you know people who work really hard, but aren’t successful? More importantly, how many of you work hard and are not achieving the results you want? So it’s not about working harder, or smarter … it’s the 1%’ers. The small changes we make, that over time, deliver a massive ROI.
Here are 4 things you can incorporate into your daily practice that will change the results you start to see:
- Visualisation: do you know that the subconscious mind operates 80% of what we do, and it is directed by pictures – we think in pictures. So it’s the pictures you formulate in your mind that drive your behaviour, actions and ultimately your results. So start inserting a picture of what you want. I know it can seem counterproductive to take time out to actually think about your day before you start it, but taking 10 minutes to visualise how you want your day to go can make a significant difference.
- Moments of Silence: when the mind is full, there is no room for new ideas to enter. Give the mind some space. Start by stopping – stop scrolling on social media for so long, especially before you go to bed. Stop watching too much TV. Stop being so busy and not giving yourself space to think. I often just sit and be, and allow thoughts to flow (and they do), and that’s often when an inspired thought enters. Workplaces that provide mindfulness training for their employees report increased focus, performance, work/life balance and job satisfaction, as well as less conflict. An article in HR Online states that “It becomes a tool for harnessing the potential of the mind to be clear and calm in the midst of a busy work life, meaning that you’re able to see the best solutions.”
- Feel into the Present: What I mean by this is to declutter the mind with thoughts of the past or future, and to be present. Eckhart Tolle says that it’s the stories floating around in our mind about the past and the future that occupy space and keep us overthinking, and not present in the here and now. So when you start to feel frustrated, anxious, fear etc, notice what you’re thinking about and remind yourself that everything is fine in the present, and switch your focus.
- Avoid Productive Procrastination: recent research (by Slack) found that employees spend around 32% of their time on performative work that gives the appearance of productivity. This is when people work their way through the quick and easy tasks on their “To Do” list, and avoid the big ticket items. The misconception is that they’ll feel better when they see more tasks crossed off of that list, but because they’re often doing meaningless tasks, it doesn’t give them that sense of fulfilment. Turn your To Do list into a Success List, and tackle the more important tasks. You’ll actually feel better, and more motivated to then plough through the rest of your tasks.
Perhaps see which one jumps out at you and start putting that into practice. I’m practicing 1. and 2. above and am feeling calmer, thinking more clearly and am far more in tune with my intuition and inner guidance, and things are changing!
Have fun.
