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Why Mindfulness Matters by John Parrott @RelaxLikeA

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by John Parrott

Mindfulness has become a bit of a buzzword over the last few years.

But just what does being mindful mean and how does it work?

In this guide, you’ll learn why being mindful matters and how to practice it.

 

So What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of being consciously aware in the present moment, without judging your experience.

You see, we’re often worried about what could happen tomorrow – or ruminating on problems from the past.

By being ‘mindful’, we can enjoy every moment in the here and now.

By achieving this state of awareness, we can enjoy a sense of peace within – rather than being distracted by our anxiety.

 

What Are The Benefits Of Mindfulness?

So let’s look at some of the benefits of mindfulness:

  • It can help improve our self-awareness
  • It’s a skill that almost anyone can develop
  • Mindfulness can create an inner sense of peace and calm
  • Being mindful helps us reconnect with others – who we might usually take for granted
  • Increased confidence and levels of self-esteem
  • Enhanced levels of energy and productivity
  • More compassion for the people around us and for ourselves

Note: Looking for the scientific evidence? Then check out these research based studies on mindfulness.

 

 

How Can I Practice Mindfulness?

If you’re looking for some easy exercises, check out these five mindfulness trainings.

But before you begin, I’d recommend starting off slow.

Mindfulness requires patience and practice – it’s not something we can master overnight.

So take your time and enjoy the experience.

 

Useful Resources For Practicing Meditation

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John runs Relax Like A Boss, a blog that teaches people how to reduce stress and relax in a busy world. His passion is helping and inspiring others to beat stress and live a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Potential Power Lies in Your Personality by @SBSLEducSoltns

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( A walk in the personality ‘park’ under temperament ‘trees’ & social style ‘leaves’  )

Personalities.

 

We all have one.

And we know others do, too.

Far from an earth shattering observation, mind you.  Yet, why do so many entrepreneurially minded pros, whether in a sales role, running a micro or small business, or self-employed ( CPA, consultant ), not lean into their personality type, or gloss over them entirely?

One root reason?  Conventional classroom based schooling, whether primary/secondary (‘K-12’), collegiate/undergrad, even graduate program studies, oft times don’t include it in curricula, required or elective.

I’ve discussed becoming a self educated, lifelong learner, with no expectation of credentials before; now this becomes ever more valuable, since there are so many ‘trees’, with multi colored ‘leaves’ in this ‘park’. Said another way, there’s much to share about how much potential power there is in knowing about your own personality & temperament, let alone those of your client/customer, your staff, & your prospects.

 

 

Going Beyond Generic Labels

 

“You’re too much of an introvert, Emma. Join us at happy hour to network! ”

 

“I think I’m an extrovert, Lianne; do you agree?”

 

Introvert. Extrovert.

Two commonly mouthed words in many professional workplaces in all industries, in your home office, & at the coffee shop.

 

We should be more specific; we mustn’t over complicate matters, however, the more we can unpack ( depth ) & expand our horizons ( width ), it’ll benefit our businesses in a number of different ways.

 

 

Everything DISC

 

The DISC model has a long & storied history

( to trace it: Timeline )

 

DISC ** is unencumbered by complexity; most anyone can clearly interpret the results from the assessment.

I stress that it’s an assessment & spotlights preferences & tendencies, and is not a test, nor an exam.

 

If you’re having challenges with closing sales, or tend to be someone who wants to please everyone, you just might be an ‘S’.

Are you often inadvertently forgetting appointments, or talking your way out of a deal?  Say ‘hi, ‘I’ !’

Maybe you’ve had issues with turnover, or staff satisfaction in your workplace?  Look into swapping your ‘leader’ , who is a ‘D’ style , for someone else.

Or, perhaps you need someone to do your financials for you that won’t miss a single number?  Put a ‘C’ in this position.

 

 

Personality Plus

 

This model was the first that I learned about, not long after my professional development journey began nine years ago this month.

 

While the roots of it are birthed in faith, please don’t assume or close your mind off to how it can apply to any type of workplace, for a sales manager/team, or in your home based business.

 

The four types which Mrs. Littauer discusses have history stretching back millennia, to ancient times. One small drawback is a need to learn, or brush up ( if you’ve been classically, or liberal arts centric educated ) on what ‘choleric’, ‘sanguine’, ‘phlegmatic’, & ‘melancholy’ mean, before you read the books *** & take the assessment.

 

I’ve found much value in combining DISC & Personality + together when I talk with others; it’s a double dose of learning how to better walk in the ‘personality park’.

*** please see below for all 3 #mustreads

 

 

MBTI   

 

Myers-Briggs [Type Indicator/s] usually is the 1st to be recognized: some would say it exemplifies what marketers refer to as the ‘First-Mover Advantage’

 

This isn’t to downplay its value due to age, or perhaps apparent complexity. There’s much value in being aware of it, & perhaps deploying in your assessment ‘toolbox’ for talent, or people development; sales training; & as a high value input into hiring, firing, & promotability decision making.

MBTI Online is a great place to start to build understanding of this model’s philosophical underpinnings and practical applicability to your business/workplace, and you’ll also find certain consultants, trainers, & coaches who leverage it, such as Jeff ( someone I know fairly well. )

 

Tying it Together

 

Silo’ed results, in any business let alone an academic setting, isn’t ideal. So, let’s do our best to intermingle all 3 measures of personality, temperament, & social style together.

 

MBTI’s ‘E’ & ‘J’ =  ‘D’ (ISC) = ‘Choleric’  while ‘N’ & ‘P’ = ( D ‘I’ (SC)) = ‘Sanguine’ , as ‘I’ & ‘F’ = (DI ‘S’ ( C)) = ‘Phlegmatic’ , & … lastly, MBTI’s ‘S’ & ‘T’ = ((DIS) ‘C’ ) = ‘Melancholy’

 

Lots of letters …

Some lingo/language that might be unfamiliar, let alone the acronym.

 

Please embrace your walk, and study the leaves under the trees. 🙂

 

 

Suggested Social Profiles

 

Everything DISC

 

MBTI

 

Personality + ‘s  Marita (daughter of Florence)

 

Interested in More?

 

There are gold & silver veins below the surface of this ‘park’.

Please invest time to buy your entrepreneurial pickaxe, plan a trip, and begin your dig!

 

Best Personality Assessment

Top 10 Most Popular

*** All suggested books in the series ( PP 4 Parents ; PP – Original Bk ; & PP 4 Couples )

MBTI to DISC

 

 

In short …

 

  • The ‘gap’ : why personalities, temperaments, & social styles oft aren’t utilized.
  • Generic labels
  • Model 1 > DISC
  • Pers + >> Model 2
  • Model 3 >>> MBTI
  • Intermingling all three models
  • To continue your journey

 

Thank YOU for reading!

________________

Disclaimer: I’m an authorized partner & recommend DISC ahead of others, however, I’m very open minded & often will intermingle other models/assessments in my 1:1 mentoring, consulting projects, & family advising.

How to get comfortable with selling so you can turn your passion into a purpose by @AnisQiz

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by Anis Qizilbash, Founder of Mindful Sales Training

Selling for your new freelance gig or startup is stressful. You probably deal with rejection on a daily basis, more so than you would in a corporate job, because your product is unproven in a sea of established competitors. And there’s more at stake; the only thing between you and your rent or mortgage payment is…how many sales you can generate. No surprise then that insecure thoughts of uncertainty, lack or limitation often emerge. These fears can get in the way of successful selling and bring out the monster in you.

If you are often stressed, you will react to events from a place of stress, consistently creating negative circumstances. However, when you are calm, you can make different choices, setting off a positive chain of events.

Tell-to-sell backfires

If you don’t know how to effectively sell, you might end up talking because that’s your perception of sales. It’s probably how most salespeople have acted around you.

This spray-and-pray tactic doesn’t work because – and this should not come as a shock to any parent – humans don’t like being told what to do. Psychologists call it reactance theory, the motivational reaction we experience when we feel pressured to adopt a certain view or offer.

The tell-to-sell approach has the counter-productive effect of strengthening your prospect’s resistance or your offer, compelling them to stick with what they’ve already got. Despite your best intentions, you send prospects running for the hills.

How the sales monster shows up

If worries about closing or cash-flow occupy your thoughts during sales conversations, your limbic system, the part of your brain in charge of basic – think primal – emotions and drives, is activated. You end up going into survival mode, thinking and talking about yourself instead of actively listening, asking questions and understanding your prospect. But there is a way you can keep your ego at bay.

Silencing the sales monster

A Stanford University study shows mindfulness helps you regulate emotions, a crucial skill to have if one prospect rejects a proposal at the moment you’re about to meet with a hot new prospect. The ability to set aside thoughts of fear allows you to keep calm and avoid coming across desperate or pushy, silencing the sales monster.

And does your mind sometimes wander when someone’s talking to you? Perhaps you’re thinking of your pitch or wondering which approach to take to start talking about your business. It’s definitely happened to me during meetings with potential clients. Well, research also shows mindfulness increases your attention span, therefore making you more effective in those sometimes tense, one-to-one sales conversations.

Two simple mindfulness techniques

Here are two simple techniques you can do in minutes to help you silence the ego and avoid self-sabotaging behaviors, allowing you to be fully present for your prospects and clients.

1. RECEPTIVE IN RECEPTION

Instead of thumbing through your phone or checking your presentation, listen to all the sounds around you – footsteps, the gentle hum of people talking, traffic outside. Ask yourself how many different sounds you can hear.

2. WAKE-UP CALL

Before making or taking a phone call, take a deep inhale of breath through the nose normally, listening and feeling your breath while doing so, then exhale through the mouth. Just focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale. If a thought pops up – and they will – don’t judge it, just be aware of it and bring your attention back to your breath. When you take a conscious breath before you answer a call, you stop the rush of thoughts causing fear for a moment, waking you up to the present moment, which is all it takes to become mindful.

When you can silence the ego, you become detached from outcomes, and are less likely to take things personally. Instead of being weighed down with rejection and carrying that energy into the next call or meeting, you’re left with the space of possibility. You are better prepared to serve your prospect instead of feeding the ego’s need to take.

Be curious to add value

People pay for value; in order to add value, you must first find out what is of value to them, because value is in the eye of the beholder. Instead of selling and telling, be curious. What motivates them? What are the social and economic drivers of their business? Where do they want to be in a year’s time and how can you help them get there? When you wonder about such things instead of making assumptions of what they need or guessing how to pitch them, you can’t help but ask the thoughtful questions that help you determine where your product can add value.

Pursue relationships, not prospects

When meeting people, instead of thinking whether they would make a good potential customer, focus on building relationships. People do business with people they know, like, and trust. And remember, each person you meet knows at least a hundred people, so if focus on helping people they’re more than likely to refer business to you.

Serve instead of sell

Mindfulness doesn’t stop prospects from rejecting your proposals. Nor does it magically grow your sales. It does change how you react to things. Instead of letting stress and fear get the better of you, being mindful allows you to be more focused and therefore ask intelligent questions. When you’re able to regulate your ego’s desire to talk about yourself, pitch your product or recoil in fear, you will discover more about your prospects, allowing you to find more ways to help and serve them. When you focus on serving and building relationships, instead of selling, it all starts to flow.

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Anis Qizilbash is London-based motivational speaker, founder of Mindful Sales Training and author of Grow Your Sales, Do What You Love: Mindful Selling for Entrepreneurs and Freelancers.

Get your free guide, “How to Turn Strangers into Potential Clients, Without Being Awkward”.

The Wandering Mind – 6 Ways to Cure Distraction by @Barbclifford

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The Wandering Mind - 6 Ways to Cure Distraction

by Barbara Clifford | Featured Contributor

If you think mindfulness is for hippies, you’re wrong. To me, mindfulness in business has always made sense.  To be acutely aware but also taking the time to focus your attention on things that are important.  It sharpens our ability to observe, to listen and to raise awareness of when our thoughts are wandering.

In a recent interview, Aurizon’s CEO Andrew Harding, said that  he uses mindfulness to sharpen his focus. “Every day for the past 20 years he has sat in a quiet part of his house, or in a hotel room, and practised at least 15 minutes of meditation. If he can, he will do 30 minutes”.

But even if meditation is not your thing, don’t dilute your potency, by spreading yourself too thin.  Harding advises others to focus on just a few things, really nail them and then move onto the next thing.  For example, when making a presentation, focus on just three things (not ten) to build rapport and be memorable.

Here are some ways to manage distractions:

1.    Block out the Noise

Many offices now provide open spaces to economise on space and costs however this can lead to increased distractions of noise. It also increases the temptation to be dragged into mindless chatter of conversation.  Try bringing headphones to work. Not only will this block out the background noise, it also indicates to others that you are in a “space” where you do not wish to be disturbed.  Some like to listen to music that is going to increase their focus. I create playlists in Spotify to meet certain needs, such as boosts of energy, concentration, or stress management.

2.    Turn off Alerts

How can expect to manage your distractions when you give all your devices permission to distract you? Turn off social media sound alerts on your phone. And for your email systems, turn off alerts on your phone and computer.  Rather, set reminders to check your emails periodically throughout the day so that you can focus on the work at hand.  No doubt you are not paid to constantly check and respond to emails.

3.    Manage Your Stress Triggers

It’s worth taking guidance from a stress management coach to have someone be objective for you and assist you in identifying your stress triggers. With the right tools and strategies, you can manage these triggers or at least be mindful and aware that they exist.  While stress triggers can be a distraction, the stress will also cause your body to release excess levels of cortisol. Cortisol is great for pushing you through necessary stress (like physical exercise or dangerous situations) however excess production can be detrimental to your health.  It can also trigger memory lapses and mood alteration.

4.    Stop Multi-tasking

We can be lulled into a false sense of security thinking that we are getting more done by doing a multitude of things at once. However, research has shown that multitasking makes us less productive and less effective.  If it takes us an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task, then that is valuable time wasted, increasing the overall time it takes to complete each individual task.

5.    Check Your Iron Levels

1 in 5 women are iron deficient.  I was surprised to find out recently that I was significantly iron deficient and required an iron transfusion in the hospital. In researching what iron deficiency does, I discovered that it assists in the process of distributing oxygen around the body, including the brain! Why make your brain work harder than it has too.

6.    Identify Your Values

Now this might sound a little odd, but when we can identify what we value most, we can identify where our distractions lie.  For example, I absolutely love organising things, creating order out of chaos, so this is where I will get distracted. I will tidy my desk, number things or alphabetise something before doing important phone calls.  One of my favourite speakers on the subject is Benjamin J Harvey. He teaches people how to fast track success in their own business by focusing on their passions, that is tapping into their purpose and values.

Do

  • Turn off Alerts
  • Stop multi-tasking
  • Identify your values (what floats your boat)

 

Don’t

  • Try and multitask
  • Ignore symptoms of low iron or stress
  • Constantly check emails or social media

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