words that work
I was chatting to a friend recently who was constantly distracted by his mobile. I knew I didn’t have his full attention, but was determined to let it wash over me. After all, that’s the way of the world these days.
He was complaining about a misunderstanding with the person he was IM’ing.
“Why don’t you just call him instead?” I said.
“It’s easier this way,” he said. “Besides, it would be rude, since I’m talking to you.”
Except he wasn’t.
It seems that nowadays, attention-deficit disorder is the new normal. We’re all trying to do more than one thing at once, and not making a very good fist of it. At times, we seem to be sleepwalking through life, constantly distracted by inputs real and virtual.
Which is why mindfulness has become such a big thing in recent years. The idea is a simple one: instead of living your life on autopilot, you bring your attention to what you’re doing right here, right now. You experience it directly, without letting yourself get distracted by thoughts of what’s been or what’s to come.
I’ve been on a mindfulness kick on and off for the last few years, and recently stumbled across a book by Chade-Meng Tan, whose job title when he previously worked at Google was Jolly Good Fellow (yes, really).
During his more than 15 years at the organisation, where he worked as an engineer, he developed a keen interest in mindfulness. He created and ran an in-house course to help employees be happier, less stressed and relate better to each other.
He shares his work in a book I’ve just finished reading called Search Inside Yourself: The Secret to Unbreakable Concentration, Complete Relaxation and Effortless Self-Control. If you’re thinking this is all a bit pie-in-the sky, think again.
He says that focus, attention, mindfulness and empathy can help not only the individual, but the organisation too. And as I read it, I couldn’t help thinking how it applied to all of us who work in marketing, and our interactions with colleagues, clients and suppliers.
The book had many things that struck a chord with me on a personal level, but it also included lots of business takeaways. Among those were:
The book is fascinating, and Meng’s quirky sense of humour (based on a heavy dose of self-deprecation, which is always endearing) makes it an easy read.
It’s packed full of insights, and even if you don’t put all of them into practice for your business, you’ll learn how to tame your mind and create a sense of calm and acceptance. As Meng says, all it takes is one breath a day.
And that could change your world, either personal or professional.
Or at the very least let you sleep soundly at night.