Stop, Look, And Listen

Many of us speed through the day without much awareness. The whole day is about doing and then doing more. For others of us, we feel lost in our day, directionless, not sure what to do next. By the time the day is finished we often feel frustrated. We didn’t get enough done. We didn’t meet our goals. Whether you are overwhelmed with tasks or feeling lost, you can increase both your joy and your effectiveness by taking time to stop, look, and listen.

We learned this lesson when we were children. When you come up to a street corner you stop, look, and listen. After you have done these three things, and you are sure that no traffic is present, you cross the street. For children this a well-being exercise. The chances of an accident are greatly reduced by becoming keenly aware of one’s surroundings.

When your day is made up of non-stop tasks and meetings, or you are constantly pressuring yourself to do things you are not doing, you are treating the work as more important than yourself. The result is stress. Stress leads to physical and emotional suffering. Over time the increased heart rate, the contraction of muscles, and the release of hormones wears on the body. Studies have shown that stress leads to degradation in the body and breakdowns in the immune system. This makes us more susceptible to both injury and disease.

One top of the physical suffering, the constant pressure to do and do more causes self criticism, guilt, and complaining about others. The voice in the head constantly tells us that we aren’t doing enough, that we should do more, and that we don’t measure up. The negative emotion caused by these thoughts creates ongoing tension and clouds our ability to think. This tension blocks our creativity. Does any of this sound like you? If so, there is an answer.

At least twice during your day, schedule a 5 to 10 minute time to stop, look, and listen. During this time accept no interruptions -- no phone calls, no visitors in your office. Your first thought may be “I don’t have time for that!” Actually, you do have time for that. The result of your stop, look, and listen will include greater focus. Greater focus will lead to the elimination of distractions which will give you more time.

Here is how it works:
Schedule at least twice during the day when you will take a break just for you. If possible, make it at the same times each day. If not, aim for two general time frames each day. Commit yourself to this. Close the office door and put the phone on mute, or go outside and sit.

1. STOP! Stop what you are doing. Take one minute and breathe deeply. Focus on your breath and don’t think about anything else. If you are a spiritual person this is a moment to offer up a prayer of gratitude--gratitude that you are alive and breathing--gratitude that you are employed--gratitude for this opportunity to be of service to others. Focus your attention on the breath and on being alive.

2. LOOK! Look at your day so far. Step outside of yourself and, without judgment, assess where you are. How do you feel? (angry, fearful, stressed out, joyful, sad, excited, other emotions?) Simply notice your emotional state.

3. LISTEN! Listen to the story you are telling yourself. Are you blaming or criticizing yourself or others? What are the events happening around you and how are you reacting to them? Do not judge yourself. Simply observe. If you are having a fabulous day take this moment to give thanks for it.

4. After you have stopped, looked, and listened, think about your priorities. I said THINK about your priorities, not WORRY about them. Just focus on them for a minutenin one of the following three formats:
• as if they were written on a white board in front of you,
• as if they were being spoken to you from a headphone set,
• as if you felt physically drawn to them by some invisible force.
Choose the kind of focus that works for you.

If you are a spiritual person, ask for guidance. Ask that your actions lead toward what is highest and best for you and all of the people with whom you interact. Stay quiet and relaxed for a few more seconds to allow for inspiration.

Take a deep breath and re-engage. You may feel silly or selfish taking this time out for you. You may be tempted to think it is a waste of time. Let these thoughts go, because the real results will be:
1. You will feel refreshed.
2. You will feel focused.
3. You will feel more calm---less stressed.
4. You will feel more motivated.
5. You will be more productive.
6. You will be more aware of yourself and how you feel. This helps you to take your thinking and doing off automatic and live more consciously.

Remember, the job is not more important than you. The job is production, but you are production capability. If you take good care of the production capability (you) you will improve the production. Do this and you will find yourself looking forward to these few minutes each morning and afte
oon. Think of it as filling up your tank. Think of it as making yourself more conscious of what is going on within you and around you. As with the children crossing the street, there will be less “accidents” in your day and greater well-being. n