Recently I was taking an early morning walk on the beach when I spoke with a man who was reading his newspaper sitting at the water’s edge. Besides discussing how peaceful the beach is at this time of day, he told me that he needed seven minutes of silence a day.
As I walked away, I thought about how that could be beneficial in a business setting. If for seven minutes every day, wouldn’t it be wonderful if a soft gong would sound and all conference calls, meetings and other work would stop? During this time of silence, employees could reflect/dream/visualize/meditate the type of life they want moving forward. Studies have actually been conducted that state that if one visualizes their goals, they have a better likelihood that they are going to be achieved. The idea is to not only visualize the final outcome but the steps along the way in achieving that specific goal.
When I have suggested this to others, the comment is that they only wish they could have that amount of time to themselves. How can that be achieved? Just as one schedules appointments and meetings, schedule the time on your calendar. It may be best to schedule it during a time when your energy level is not as high and you don’t feel your mind racing in many other directions. Every time that you catch yourself thinking about other things, try to bring it back to the original thought. It does take some practice but over time this can be accomplished. The key is to try to do this every day (ideally at the same time of day) and eventually you should see results.
As the summer ends, this is the best time to start this exercise. Why? As employees end their vacations and school starts, productivity in the workplace increases significantly so it is important to be able to more effectively accomplish your goals and lead a more rewarding life.
Well put and I whole heartly agree!