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Be Mindful of Your Vision
by Linda-Ann Stewart
Being mindful and having a vision may seem contradictory. Your vision is all about the future, where you're going and your destination. Mindfulness teaches you to stay in the present moment, without concern about the past or future. It sounds like vision and mindfulness are in opposition, doesn't it? But they actually have a lot in common to help you be successful and achieve your goals in life.
For instance, your vision, although you keep it in view, necessitates you to have a plan and take steps to reach your destination. Mindfulness involves being intentional, focusing on one task at a time. Once you've completed that item, you focus on the next goal. In this way, you stay on course to your objective.
Vision and Mindfulness Are Complementary
That's where vision and mindfulness intersect. When you're mindful about your vision, you focus on one step at a time, accomplishing it, then moving onto the next one. Each action builds on the one before. You know where you're going (your vision), but your attention is on your current activity (mindfulness). By mindfully working through your plan, you'll reach your vision.
Being mindful of your vision can be challenging, as life is full of pitfalls and distractions. Only by navigating through challenges, and staying intentional and focused, can you be successful. Here are some suggestions to help you stay mindful and focused on your path, so you don't get lost in the weeds.
Execute your plan. You can't just develop a plan and then ignore it. To stay on course, create mini-steps so you take one each day. The habit of taking action will propel you along so that you then take bigger and bigger steps.
Be present. It's easy to get lost in the future of what could be, or the past of what could have been. Instead of trying to leap forward, or berating yourself for what you didn't do, ask yourself, "What can I do right now?" Pay attention to what you can control now. Those actions add up.
Don't multitask. This is the very opposite of being mindful. You're trying to do several things at one time, and this results in not doing any of them well. It gives you a false sense of accomplishment, but when you look back, you realize you haven't really made any progress. Take one task, complete it, and only then move on to the next.
Take a mental step back. When faced with the temptation to detour, stop and think about it. Be present with what's going on. Why are you being distracted? Are you bored or uncertain about your next step? Mentally think it through and decide if that distraction or procrastination is worth taking the detour.
Talk yourself through temptation. If you aren't paying attention to what you want in the moment, your environment is going to grab your attention. This is when distractions and interruptions pull you off course. After you've decided you don't want to take that detour, keep yourself on course by being your own cheerleader. Tell yourself something like, "Stay the course," "One thing at a time," "I'll take care of that detail later."
Shift your attention to the positive. Sometimes your mental meandering will take you into the undesirable realm of negative thoughts. You doubt yourself, get upset at something not going your way, or become frustrated at not making progress as fast as you'd like. Again, take a step back and ask yourself, "Is it worth it to dwell on these ideas?" "Will this move me forward?" or "How much will this matter in a month?" Then shift your attention to something beneficial and productive. Acknowledge something that you've accomplished to change your energy.
In the best of times, mindfulness and vision complement each other. They make each other stronger and improve your success in every area of your life. As you keep your vision in view, and practice being mindful in your daily life, you'll make the progress you seek.
Copyright © 2009-2023 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved
As a focus coach, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, freedom, wellbeing and prosperity. Watch her FREE training video on Set Your Course to Success: 4 steps to strategically achieve your goals with confidence and ease. Register for the video and accompanying action planning guide at www.SetYourCourseGuide.com. You can contact her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com or 928-600-0452.
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