As yogis and yoginis, we practice yoga asana to learn to master the body and quiet the mind. However many of us forget the importance of a quiet mind when we step off our mats and into our business!
We live in a world of NOW. Someone calls you, you immediately answer. An email pops up on your blackberry, you immediately start typing a response. You get on facebook while you watch TV. Throughout the day, you are constantly interrupted and distracted.
The average person is interrupted about 50 times per day, for an average of 5 minutes per interruption, and it takes us about 20 minutes to get re-focused. This means approximately every 8-10 minutes you are interrupted. Each workday, you spend almost four of eight hours dealing with phone calls, instant messages, emails, etc. It seems the only time you can find a quiet mind is on your mat!
A quiet mind is powerful. A quiet mind brings more clarity, focus, and attention to detail than the mind consumed by multi-tasking. It also brings efficiency and productivity to your business.
So how can you re-create the peaceful feeling off the mat when you are dealing with your business?
Create a space and time that is distraction free. Tell everyone that you can not be reached for a few hours. Do not answer your phone, email, instant message, or facebook. Do not allow anyone to walk into your office to ask a question. Do not get on the internet. Focus 100% on the task at hand.
This may be difficult. We are all addicted to our devices and worry that things can’t run without us there. THAT IS NOT TRUE! Everything will continue to run, people will figure out their own problems, and you will become much more productive and effective. You will be amazed at how quickly the mind will become quiet with no distractions or interruptions.
