Sanket Pai in
Output / Input = Productivity
That’s the most commonly used formula by organizations, for calculating productivity. Mathematically it makes perfect sense. However, when it comes to improving productivity, it is not as simple as increasing the output or optimizing the input. Let’s remember we are dealing with humans, not robots! Productivity more about managing the state of mind than process management.
Let me introduce you to the not very new concept of mindfulness. This movement of focusing on the now has gained amazing momentum across the world and has changed many a lives professionally and personally! To know more about mindfulness, we urge you to watch this insightful TED talk by Andy Puddicombe.
Here are 4 ways mindfulness can improve productivity.
Better focus
The workforce today is living in a world where information is overflowing, distractions are aplenty, and everything seems urgent. In such an environment productivity is the last thing on their mind. So how can mindfulness help? The mindfulness practice helps you stay rooted in the present moment and distance yourself from your thoughts. Once you get into that state, you develop pinpoint focus, an ability to deal with distraction and a calmer state of mind.
Beat procrastination
Owing to mental conditioning and our innate instinct to survive, the mind tends to continually access negative patterns from the past and apply those models to predict the future. So most of the time your mind is oscillating between the past and the future when ideally you should be focused on the present moment. Procrastination is the biggest by-product of this behavior, and it is the largest productivity killer. Imagine you are sitting at your desk in front of your computer, trying to complete a task and your mind focused on how you can’t afford a new car. That’s unfortunately, the state of the world we are living in. Mindfulness helps you observe your thoughts from a distance and cut down on unnecessary procrastination. Over a period of time, you realize that neither the past nor the future is real. They are just thoughts, and you can decide how they impact you.
Improve interpersonal relations
Practicing mindfulness brings the focus inwards cutting down judgemental behavior. When you stop judging, you start accepting yourself and others for who you/they are. This makes interactions more objective, keeps the emotions at bay and improves interpersonal relationships significantly. If you can enhance communication and collaboration among teams, that’s half the battle won! Things can only get better from there!
Better decision making
I keep saying this over and over, you can buy all the tools you want and create the most complex processes, but decision making will always rely on humans. So you see, the state of mind pretty much impacts the quality of decision making. Mindfulness helps you cut out the noise and bring a certain level of clarity to decision making. There is no more second-guessing. You look at the data, see the patterns and play it out in your head in an entirely objective way. Then you take the most objective decision without the chaos, panic or the fear of past decision or worrying about the implications of the present decision. You simply make the best decision at that moment knowing what you know and giving it everything you have.
They say the subconscious mind is 10,000 times stronger than your conscious or logical mind. Imagine the power it has and imagines if you could tap into that power for your benefit. Mindfulness holds the key to making your mind your friend and tapping into the limitless possibilities it has to offer! If you agree, this moment is as good as any to start practicing!