In my work and everyday family life, I have always paid (and still do) great attention to development. I read a lot and trained myself to do everything better and more effectively. Each time I was gaining new knowledge and ideas, I wanted immediately to implement them in my life. And usually I was met with misunderstanding, frustration and, on top of that, my inner critic who scolded me for every failure.

What was missing from this puzzle? Mindfulness. Because you can try and you know that this is it. That this is the right thing to do, that the research says it and everyone should be delighted that you want to share it with them.

You certainly know (if not, find out 😉 ) that a parent should set boundaries, but at the same time – really be with the child, take care of the child’s needs, teach them to deal with emotions, let them experience, spend time actively with them, give example with your life… And also take care of yourself, be in good physical and mental condition, look nice, have time for your partner, friends, family, have a hobby…

You certainly know (if not, find out 😉 ) that it’s best when your work is your passion, when you find fulfillment, learn from others, improve your qualifications, and can work in a team. If you are a leader, you have time for people, you are able to look at the big picture, motivate, appreciate, respect, and bring out the best. And, of course, you are able to appreciate yourself for your successes, you will learn from every mistake, you don’t give up, you see many solutions to one problem…

Without mindfulness it is impossible… no… that’s not what I want to say. It is possible, but if I try to have it all, do it all, meet my and others’ expectations, then one day I will fail, burn out, get tired, and stop.

Mindfulness allows you to stop briefly during the day. It frees you from rushing, obligations, perfection, expectations, judgments, criticism and allows you to breathe and notice, here and now. What is important to me at this moment? Why is this important to me? Why did these words hurt me? Where does my anger come from? What am I grateful for? How do I really rest?

And that’s where you should start – a new project, a new job, a new role, a change.

I encourage you to spend the month of December reflecting – not on what happened, but on what IS IMPORTANT to you. Try to stop for a few breaths at any time every day and become aware of how you feel at the moment and what influences it.

Believe me, this is of great importance, the effects will not come immediately, but they will come. And putting new knowledge and skills into practice will be smoother, maybe slower, but certainly more effective 🙂