Impediments To Mindfulness During Work

There are definitely distinct impediments that arise during work; impediments that often serve to set us apart from our activities. We are talking about divorce at work--alienation, dissociation. A full engagement of our whole being in the midst of work is both the problem of the one who is working, as well as of the product or service being rendered, not to mention the leader striving to get the best out of his or her people.

For instance, if we are the worker whose mindfulness is being disabled--such that we are not fully engaged and present in what we are doing--then we suffer an irretrievable loss of our own existence. Moments escape us. Our life slips through the cracks. We miss out on the simple fact of being because we have gone elsewhere. Body and mind are not one--fused, united, whole, or cohesive.

Second, our work suffers because of the alienation we experience when mind and body are not one. Any service we render will be less than it can be. Any product we are in the process of constructing will suffer too. The consequences of an ongoing impediment to mindfulness during work will have their say for both the one who is working as well as that which is being worked. Value for both the worker and the object of work--whether tangible or intangible--will be diminished.

Lastly, any leader who is experiencing deficits of mindfulness among his or her charges will find that any stated goals are more difficult to achieve than they otherwise would be. The trick for the leader is to engage those in the midst of work. In this sense, it is for the leader to seek to minimize the impediments to mindfulness. This may take the form of simply 'inquiring into the worker's condition.' If we see someone struggling, and we are a leader, then it is up to us to not put more pressure on that person, but to find out the reasons why they are already feeling/experiencing a pressure that is dividing their attention--literally splitting them into pieces; a pressure that is an impediment to mindfulness. An impediment to mindfulness that is a detriment to work (meaning, the value in the midst of being created) as well as a detriment to the work-experience as a whole.


The Total Value Of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is never not a rewarding addition to any moment. In fact, if I were to ask you if you wanted to enjoy life more, and I played to the selfish interest of human nature to capitalize on the fullest enjoyment of existence possible, and you said 'Yes, I do want to enjoy life more... i do want to capitalize on each moment,' I would point you in the direction of mindfulness.

Want better sex? Mindfulness.
Want a better career? Mindfulness.
Want better finances? Mindfulness.
Want to be a better leader? Mindfulness.
Want to do well in school? Mindfulness.
Want your work to stand out? Mindfulness.

There is really no area of human endeavours where the addition of mindfulness will not be a blessing. Why has Buddhism tended to have at its nexus the cultivation of mindfulness? Because as the Buddha is reported to have said, 'All things have mind in the lead...'

If our mind is scattered and discordant then so, too, will our work come across as scattered and discordant; so, too, will our relationships be such as our mindfulness is. Whatever the quality and nature of mind in each moment will be the quality and nature of our work. As a result value will be extended or diminished relative to mindfulness. And that is why mindfulness (as well as the impediments to mindfulness, which I intended to touch on, but will now save for another day) is so important a topic in every area of human endeavour and concern. Parenting. Education. Finance. Politics. Sex. Relationships. Sports. Entertainment. Art. Everything!

So, if you want to do one thing that will add 'value' to your world--meaning, to your experience of the world, which will inevitably touch, affect, and colour your every relationship--then be mind-full; understand the impediments to mind-fullness; and do what you can to bring your-Self to your each and every moment. If you do, I promise you that life will never again be the same for you. The value of everything you do (or don't do) will most definitely increase.