The Remembering is the Hardest Part...
Put your sneakers on, get out and walk...
Set a timer and meditate...
Get on your yoga mat and breathe...
Sit in your car and be grateful after a stressful day...
Ask "How are you?" and actually wait for an answer...
Remembering to do any of this is step one. As Plato is quoted, "the beginning is the most important part of the work."
But how?
Focus your attention. Accept what is. But being aware, at a time when multi-tasking is the ultimate accomplishment and delivers a constant perception of control, makes it much harder to seize. There is a way we can remember, and it's thousands of years old.
The concept of mindfulness has recently become trendy. We see companies creating quiet rooms, and workshops teach it, all to help us focus on one thing at time. Just how important this practice is will only be revealed to you when you remember to stay mindful! Hmmmm...
Ronald Siegel, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, defines mindfulness as: awareness of the present experience with acceptance.
Getting a handle on our mind is a vicious circle, kind of like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first? Well, you can't stay mindful if you don't remember to; if you don't remember, you won't operate from your internal compass - whether that's pointing you to your sneakers, your yoga mat, or being grateful. So let's start small.
I invite you to begin with an important habit I outline on my website FAQs. This is something that could get those around you to wonder if something's wrong with you. Ready? Do nothing! Yes, do nothing for 15 minutes a day. Let your mind calm down, let your body stay put.
Oh, millions of thoughts will pop up, guaranteed. And if you want hard work, the hard work is to stay. Just stay. No note taking the one idea that popped up, no jumping up to run to the bathroom (it's 15 minutes for god's sake!), no calling the person you forgot to call back last week, and no falling asleep! Nothing! Just stay...for 15 minutes. Don't fight it. Why would you do that to yourself?
Do this for a week, and please let me know how it went! I want to know.
I'm going to guess that doing nothing is your first step to accomplishing everything else you want to do. You'll begin to see that your mind is clearer, and your tasks are done quicker and better. You'll say "no" to all the doing...and actually do less, and you'll wonder why you're getting so much done. Focused attention? Accepting what is? Being aware?
You'll start remembering more, and taking care of yourself will become much easier too... and it's FREE! Everyday, you have the choice to get back to yourself and stay on your own path.