How can mindfulness help you in business and in life?
Many of us strive for career success but find that no matter how many income benchmarks we reach, we’re never quite happy.
This often reflects how present and mindful we are throughout our day.
In today’s episode, Leadership Executive Coach Eric Holsapple joins us.
He shares three pillars of mindful leadership to build a happier career and life.
Business meets mindfulness
Just like Lindsay, Eric is from Colorado, USA.
All his children are business owners.
Today Eric shares his expertise in the intersection of business and mindfulness.
He shared that he discovered mindfulness when he was quite young.
He became the CEO of an Australian company in his 20s.
He achieved a lot and was living a good life but felt miserable.
He didn’t exercise, he had bad habits and was alone at that time.
He then made the conscious decision to improve his life which led him to discover yoga.
This was his introduction to mindfulness.
He has repaired a lot of his relationships and healed his body through meditation.
What is mindfulness?
Eric shares that mindfulness is more than being soft and calm.
Mindfulness is the ability to be focused and accomplish a goal.
You can go as deep as you want or start with basic practices to bring mindfulness to your business.
Lindsay asks what is the number one thing that hinders focus or mindfulness.
Eric answers that humans are easily distracted.
This stops us and robs us of focus.
You have to remember that focus belongs to you.
Pillars of mindfulness in business
Eric shared his journey and learnings in a book entitled “Profit with Presence: The Twelve Pillars of Mindful Leadership.”
In his book, he shares a way of setting your mindset.
Eric will share in this episode the first three pillars and how you can pave your way to being mindful.
#1: Be present and practice mindfulness
Eric says to get started, the best thing to do is be grateful.
Showing gratitude is a good way to start your mindset on a positive note.
You can write in a journal three things you are grateful for.
You should start small and be consistent.
You may be busy and distracted, but you can practice in a shorter period and increase it once you get the hang of it.
#2: Find purpose in life
If you know your purpose and you live it, it will be easier to achieve success.
You need to be happy with what you’re currently doing.
Eric shares that his main purpose every day is to practice mindfulness and share how this is done with the business community.
He also wants to be present with the people around him.
When you are present with what you’re doing, you show up in a very impactful and persuasive way.
If you don’t do this, you won’t be as effective as a leader.
Presence comes more easily if you find your purpose.
It may not be easy to find your purpose and Eric says this is hard when you aren’t mindful.
It’s important to be in the right mindset before having a purpose.
#3: Vision, Intention, Commitment, and Habits
Studies show that you can’t perform better if you’re not happy.
To get to the stage of happiness, once you are mindful and present, you now have to align your vision.
Once you are clear on what your purpose is, you can then determine what your vision is.
Once you’re clear about your vision, you must complete the steps you need to make that vision a reality.
Focus on that and everything else will follow.
Don’t lose sight of your vision because there are many distractions during the journey.
What can only you do?
To determine what your priorities should be, ask yourself what only you can do.
Offload the things that you can delegate to others.
Make space for yourself to focus on what is most important and aligned with your purpose.
Takeaway
As we follow this path, Eric’s advice is to continue to be present.
There may be pressure around your family and colleagues dictating who you are and who you should be.
Stay present and focus on your goals and vision.
Be mindful of yourself and find the meaning in what you do by finding your purpose and working towards your vision.
There is a lot of noise around you, so you may need to take a step back and find time to be mindful and meditate.
You can learn more from Eric Holsapple by visiting his website: www.livinginthegap.org.
There are free resources you can access and they also have an 8-week Corporate Mindfulness Program.
You can also get a copy of the book “Profit with Presence: The Twelve Pillars of Mindful Leadership.”
What do you find difficult in making sure you are present and mindful?
We’d love to hear your answer in the comments below.
Eric’s Bio
Eric has a PhD in economics, has been a real estate CEO and developer for nearly 40 years, lectured in real estate at Colorado State University for 20 years, and has practiced yoga and meditation for 30 years. He has won Entrepreneur of the Year awards from Colorado State University and BizWest magazine.
