Be Mindful

Photo by Matthias Zomer

I am going through a sobering and humbling time this week as I help a close family member with Alzheimer's transition into a memory care facility. A home for people who have literally lost their minds.
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Every day, I appreciate more about the sound mind that I have, and care less about the trivial things that I would often get hung up on. It can be bittersweet to have a “healthy” mind. On the one hand, we can execute at an intellectual level that many people are no longer able to do. On the other hand, our intellectual minds get in the way of our progress due to over analysis and negative thoughts.

I coach intelligent people daily. I admire their inherent and learned knowledge. They provide high quality service to their customers and have so much to offer people. Yet, when learning a new “language” such as business development, self-doubt, lack of confidence, and frustration often sets in. This leads to pushing business development to the side and not dedicating the time it needs to grow a business.

Sure, we can come up with endless excuses as to why we don’t have time. We can also get incredibly frustrated when things don’t materialize fast enough. This creates a negative mindset that can be hard to shake.

So how can we avoid this roadblock?

Start by appreciating the sound mind that you have and what you can offer people. Know that many people will not need your help, and that is okay. There will be plenty of future clients who will appreciate you staying in touch.

Be aware of when negative thoughts enter your mind and do everything you can to push them out. No one is perfect, especially when it comes to BD. Do your best and appreciate your accomplishments.

Catch yourself dwelling too much on a recent failure, or the little things that didn’t go your way. Learn from it and move on.

I am learning from many of the residents in this memory care facility that the little things don’t really matter.  Most seem happy. They no longer have the ability to over analyze an experience or potential outcome. They are simply in the moment and forget about the past. It is incredibly sad to see their cognitive decline, yet it is enlightening to know that these people are not carrying the stress, anxiety, and pressure that is often all-consuming amongst those with “healthy” minds.

After this week, I am confident that I will have a fresh perspective on work and life, in general. Whenever things don’t go my way, I will just need to reflect on those who have it a lot worse than I do.
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As my late grandfather would always say, “onward and upward!”