What I Learned from the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge

Like most endings, day 30 of my MindWell 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge program snuck up on me. On day 28, I realized that my daily learning videos and buddy support messages were about to end.

As mentioned at the beginning and middle of my challenge, I had looked forward to the few minutes I spent each morning learning about mindfulness, renewing my commitment to be more present, and sharing my experiences with my challenge buddy, Matt. They were positive additions to my morning routine.

I had set three goals for this online learning program: 

• Maximize performance by being more present-focused and "in the zone"
• Document the benefits I gain when I am more present
• Identify applications for leaders and their teams when going through change

Maximizing Performance 
Learning how to focus on the present exposed the amount of time I had wasted thinking about the past and future. Most of my thoughts weren't positively contributing to my personal or professional life. Being informed by the past to plan the future is still important. Being grounded in the present as I do so keeps me on task and avoids mental distractions.

The first step to staying in the present is to realize when you are not there. The ability to assess where my mind was became a new skill. If I was not in a productive frame of mind, I would trigger the Take 5 breathing exercise to snap back into focus. I was back in productivity mode in less than two minutes. The more I used this tool the faster I refocused on my work. Now, I employ Take 5 before starting a task to avoid slow starts or drifting to other activities – multi-tasking is a time waster.

Documenting Benefits
The research that underpins the program states that mindfulness makes you present, focused, calm, less stressed, insightful, resilient, engaged and energized. I experienced all of these throughout the challenge.

Recording which benefits I perceived after each day was an eye-opener. I experienced greater presence and focus more often than engagement and energy. These traits are usually high for me, which might explain not feeling more so than usual.

Two of the biggest benefits were greater awareness of how I spend my time and an improved ability to redirect my thoughts. I am now mindful of the time traps that reduce my productivity.

Applications for Change
Change management is a structured approach to helping leaders and their teams be their best as they transition to new ways of working. Helping them stay focused through the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity that comes with change is a key requirement.

In times of change, many people cling to the past (the good old days) or worry about the future (the brave new world). This causes them to freeze or lose focus on what they can do to navigate new requirements for success. Unproductive thinking leads to inaction and greater worry.

The skill of identifying distractions is one that I will use and develop in my clients. 'Calling it' when leaders or teams get waylaid by past practices or future speculation will focus them on the tasks at hand to more quickly deliver outcomes. Improving the team's effectiveness will represent a quick win that may suggest that the change will lead to better results.

As the final program video states, the mindfulness challenge is never done. We must continue to be mindful about where we are at the moment – past, present or future – and get back into the present when we are distracted. Like most capabilities, the ability to be mindful will decrease without practice.

I completed a survey to end my 30th day module. One of the questions was, "Would you recommend the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge to a friend? After replying "yes," I thought a slightly different questions would better measure the personal benefits gained from the program: "Would you give the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge as a gift to a friend? Who wouldn't want our friends to be more present, focused, calm, less stressed, insightful, resilient, engaged and energized? My answer would be "yes."

Phil

Why Would You Take a Mindfulness Challenge?

A friend of mine won a 30-day, two-person mindfulness program from his company. I am honoured to be his partner for the experience. 

Mindfulness is a hot topic these days. It involves mental techniques (some call it meditation) to help you focus on the present versus fretting about the past or worrying about the future. There is a growing body of research suggesting that mindfulness improves concentration, reduces stress, and increases performance. 

I didn't have to be sold on the benefits of being present. I have observed many leaders over the past 25 years who have lost focus due to the pressures of change. Many would panic when faced with situations new to them. I could feel their desperation. They would either make a quick decision based on their gut or the first seemingly credible data point. Both approaches were disastrous, laying landmines that would explode months later. 

Stepping back to take stock of a situation leads to better decision making. Openness and reflection replace immediacy and reflex that are associated with the 'fight or flight' response. Taking time to gain a balanced perspective enables leaders to employ their skills and experience to make the best decision. 

The mindfulness program is designed by MindWell, a company with a tagline of "less stress, more joy, peak performance". The data from our session will be part of a University of British Columbia research study assessing the program's effectiveness on skills and behaviours in the workplace.

My first task was to complete a 10-minute questionnaire. Whenever I complete a survey I try to analyze the intent behind the questions asked – what do they want to know; what are they measuring? I noticed that many of my answers were either strongly agree or strongly disagree. I wonder what my 'before' profile suggests about my level of mindfulness? 

The first daily lesson taught me a technique called 'Take 5'. It is a 5-step process where you focus on your surroundings and how you breathe. By doing so you refocus on the present. My assignment (and commitment) is to Take 5 five times a day.

Any development program needs goals to define learning and measure progress. Mine are:

• Maximize performance by being more present-focused and "in the zone"
• Document the benefits I gain when I am more present
• Identify applications for leaders and their teams when going through change

People can feel panicked, fearful, overwhelmed or 'freak outed' when confronted with change. Mindfulness may be an effective approach to staying present and focused on adopting new ways of working. Anything that helps them to be at their best is worth investing in.

Phil