I would love to tell you have this all the time but instead I’ll be honest and tell you I’m a work in progress. Things knock me off my game all the time but I have come up with 4 strategies to keep my cool.
Stay in the moment
When you’re in meetings are you fully present or are you thinking of other things you need to accomplish?
This week I want you to carry a list with you wherever you go to capture those thoughts but get right back in the moment. You’ll give fuller attention when you aren’t scattered.
Use a mantra
The best way I've found to attain presence of mind is through mantras.
Come up with one that best boosts your confidence and then say it to yourself before a meeting or even everyday before you start work.
Don’t have one? You can borrow one of mine.
Today I will give. Today I will care.
Today I will listen. Today I will share.
Today I will learn. Today I will teach.
Today I will help others find their voice.
I say this daily to center myself and realize my purpose is bigger than me. Yours is too.
Wait
Give yourself time to react to an event or person.
Mentally do a quick body scan, actively thinking about each of your body parts starting with your head. This will help you better understand where your emotions are hitting you and will give you a brief moment (no more than 3-5 seconds per body part) to observe this feeling before addressing it.
This calms you down and clears your mind.
When in doubt think like Vanilla Ice
He may have only had four hits but the first line of the biggest hit is solid advice. "Stop, collaborate and listen"
In all seriousness I think he was onto something. If you stop yourself from making a decision right away, collaborate with others on a solution and truly listen to their input you will come out with more presence of mind than you started with.