In this episode, we discuss the first mental skill we have all of our clients work on developing: mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the process of observing one's stream of consciousness or mental environment. It’s a form of attention in which one actively attends to one's internal and external experiences.
You might wonder why we focus on mindfulness first. It probably seems a bit abstract or silly when mental toughness, grit, or resilience are skills that special operators are known for.
But all of those are outcomes. They are collections of skills and capacities that you may or may not possess depending on your experiences. Instead of leaving it up to chance, we help people develop these skills, starting with the most fundamental and working up to the more complex.
Just like you need to walk before you can run, you need to know your mind before you can shape it.
The goal of a mindfulness practice is ultimately to experience life more clearly. The more skillful we become in untangling the difference between reality and our reaction to it, the more impact more complex mental skills will have.
By working on mindfulness, you’ll sharpen your capacity to be present and skillfully direct the spotlight of your attention. Additionally, you’ll glean daily insights into how your mind works in a variety of situations, including your internal dialogue, emotional responses to pain and fatigue, and what you tend to focus on before, during, and after challenging situations. This forms the basis that amplifies the impact of other mental skills that you’ll practice over time.
