People Who End Up In Their Dream Job Have One Quiet Habit In Common
Countless CEOs, business-owners and creatives are devoted.
Mizuno K | Canva Living in this fast-paced world, most of the time our mind is filled with thoughts on what to do next. We believe that the center point of control is on us, in doing what's best or "right", in our opinion.
Meditation helps people deal with many dynamic situations, especially when they're making critical decisions that impact lives and resources. Whether those people are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, owners of small businesses, or creatives building their dream careers, meditation adds clarity and competence.
Worried meditatoin is too "woo-woo" for you? According to a report in the journal Nature, "approximately 1 in 5 (60.53 M) American adults used meditation in the past year", nothing that the growth in people using meditation of various forms has been skyrocketing for twenty years. So, yes, it is for you!
Why so many people with dream jobs have meditation in common
Ever wondered who proudly meditates? Here is a short list:
- Oprah Winfrey
- Mark Benioff
- Justin Nedelman
- LeBron James
- Carli Lloyd
- Steph Curry
- Bill Gates
- Dax Shepard
- Lady Gaga
- Ramani Ayer
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Rick Rubin
- Kendrick Lamar
You'll see founders, CEOs, creatives, athletes and more on lists of people who meditate daily. Why? Because it allows our brains the stillness we need in order to make room for inspiration. It also reduces stress!
Meditation reduces the resistance we give to our own intentions.
People will always tell you to listen to your heart, but not many will tell you how exactly to do that. You see, the heart murmurs. To listen to it, you have to reduce the noise in your head.
Meditation is the answer to that. Most successful leaders do this internally, and are constantly listening to their hearts. They have to clear the clutter in their mind before they can do that. For all the things their job demands — the ability to focus, concentrate, make good decisions, inspire, and influence — meditation enables all that.
However, like anything else, it has to come from you believing in it. The belief can form only when you try it a few times. You will slowly start seeing the benefits, especially and uniquely through your own perspective.
Meditation sharpens self-awareness.
One of the most fundamental leadership skills that meditation sharpens is self-awareness.
There are probably at least a hundred benefits of meditation and scientific reasons for it, but the only thing that has convinced successful leaders is trying it out for themselves. You will know as clarity draws in.
The actions that spring from the quiet space are authentic and creative. The absence of resistance you feel during meditation brings forth inspired action.
I'm an accidental writer, and I give the credit to meditation. It helps you tune into the solution while the active thinking mind is more connected to the problems and obvious solutions.
Leaders who have been long-term meditators are not only more courageous, but they also have slower reaction times to emotional situations. This may not sound like an asset, but they've learned the skill to pause for that split second to respond to situations and not just react.
The neuroscience journal Frontiers notes thats even people who meditate briefly, using mindfulness, have improved emotion processing! They think, the reason, and then they decide. This is an invaluable skill when making key decisions that impact your career — and your life.
Meditation leads to improved cognitive functioning, creative thinking, productivity, and even better physical health.
It's hard to be adaptive in a rapidly changing world, because we have attachments to how things are supposed to be.
However, when we strive for goals, aspirations, and desires without being attached to a specific outcome, we're more open to possibilities and opportunities that are in front of us, and we act with less fear and greater presence.
Mind you, this does not mean that you lose sight of the goal. People think that leaders become great and emotionally intelligent by suppressing emotion. That's not true. Meditation allows for emotions to arise in a non-judgemental manner and get its release so that it doesn't get in your way at the most inopportune times, like making tough critical decisions at work.
Just remember that meditation is an on-going, never-ending practice, but it doesn't have to be a chore. Take it one day at a time, and you'll find yourself being more and more present in every moment.
The art and science of building your dream life, and dream career, become a lot easier to understand and practice once this is internalized.
Bhavna Dalal is a master certified executive coach MCC ICF, speaker, and author who helps people develop leadership skills.
