by Sarah Mooers

Unlike the physical environments of our offices, where it’s clear when things are out of place, the mental space is more complicated. It must be uncovered layer by layer. Taking 15 or 20 minutes at the start of the day to get mindfully curious about the nature of the tasks and projects that are on those bloated to-do lists can yield hours of surplus time and energy.

When applying mindfulness to productivity, the first and often most difficult step is making the conscious effort to stop the habitual “go-go-go” mentality. In that pause, redirect the energy to these questions:

• Of everything I have on my plate right now, what is the one thing that will best help me achieve my goals?
• Am I truly the right person to do this, or is there someone who can do it better than  I can?
• Can I commit myself fully to this endeavor, and not allow myself to be derailed or distracted for 30 to 90 minutes, so that I can really make progress?
• Is this thing I’m about to do really the most important to me... or is it important to someone else?