Jay Kshatri's Blog, page 18

Where is the Auto-Update for our Mental Operating System?

Windows has it, MAC OS has it, as do most software programs and apps.  The ubiquitous Auto-Update that regularly enhances our various software programs with new features, bug fixes, and speed enhancement.

But what about the most powerful Operating System there is – our Brain / Mind? 

 

 

There is no auto-update, it’s all manual.  

We need to take the initiative in order to increase our ability to more efficiently process the complex world we live in. Otherwise we bog down. Our performance starts resembling a Windows 95 machine trying to run 2013 software programs.  Our ability to make sense of complex situations and process ever more increasing amounts of data requires that our engine – the brain and mind – are updated and working in peak condition.  And, it is this capability to process, analyze, and make sense of a multidimensional world that will set apart those that succeed in this century and those who don’t.

Specifically, I believe there are ten core competencies we need to develop to succeed in the 21st century given the rapid changes in technology and the pace of globalization that we currently face.  These ten items are represented in the Think Smarter pyramid below.

 From the types of information we ingest, to our use of Systems Thinking to analyze the 24/7 real time data flow we face, there are specific steps tools we can start using immediately to upgrade the capability of our mental OS.  One consistently overlooked capability is the mastery of Internet Search techniques.  The world’s collective knowledge is now at our fingertips, but if we can’t effectively find the most valuable and relevant information quickly, then we don’t fully take advantage of this enormous resource.  In other words, Google is a tool and like any other tool – our ability to use it effectively drives the benefit we gain from it.

The Synthesis of Left and Right Brain Techniques Turbocharges Results

But its just not left brain thinking tools that we need to be concerned with – we cannot ignore the creative and intuitive right side of our brain.  That would like updating only half of our computer’s Operating System – some things would work better and some not.  The right side upgrades include things like Mindfulness, Meditation, and Emotional Intelligence.

The good news is that there is a large selection of tools to enable our Mental OS upgrade.  The bad news is that it is easy to get overwhelmed by the massive amount of apps, websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, and more.  Drinking out of the proverbial data firehose causes all sorts of “Digital ADD”.  We therefore need strategies to manage this Information Abundance and move away from our reactive state of being to our more natural proactive mode of interacting with our world.  Some of the strategies are decidedly low-tech (think changing our perspective by asking different questions), while others are the combination of using applications to harness the powerful stream of data along with process steps to optimize how and when we interact with information we are interested in.

In any given technology shift, people have had to change the way they do things in order to effectively adapt to the new environment.  However, in our current time, the pace and magnitude of change certainly seems larger and more dramatic.  The speed at which industries and technologies are being replaced (and people being dis-placed), is staggering.

The only solution however, is to be Mindful of the changes and Adapt.

The best and brightest in every cycle of change do just that.  In our current shift, the good news is that though we currently face massive inequality and challenges in our economies and political systems, the forces of technological change and globalization that are tearing down established frameworks are the same ones that will provide the opportunity to construct a new more even playing field.  But it will be up to each of us, to take the initiative, to embrace change, and take action.

My upcoming book, Think Smarter in a Digitally Enabled World, will be available on November 15th.  The book addresses these challenges and provides in-depth explanations of the ten principles in the Think Smarter Pyramid and how each of us can implement them in our busy lives.  In the mean time, please visit www.ThinkSmarterWorld.com and download the free e-book – The Art of Thinking Smarte r -  to get an overview of the ten principles.  Please feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post or you can reach me directly at jay@ThinkSmarterWorld.com

 

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Surviving Work through Mindlessness

I recently had a conversation with a fellow participant at a meditation group meeting who told me he had mastered how to be calm at work.  He works in finance and manages a team at one of the world’s largest banks, so this is no easy task.  When I asked how he did it, he said he had embraced Mindlessness.  Now, for those of who are familiar with the term Mindfulness (the art of of being totally present in what you are doing) you are probably thinking I am a bit off kilter or that I can’t spell correctly.  But let me explain.

You see, for this person, the term Mind-Less-Ness better captures the essence behind being present and mindful.  When we quiet the constant chattering of our minds we are more easily able to concentrate, are less stressful, and ultimately more productive.  We learn to be in the Now, the present moment.  Mindlessness then means in this case, removing the chattering mind and leaving behind a calm, totally present awareness.  Ultimately, Mindfullness and Mindlessness are the same concept.

But the essential question remains, how did he get to this state consistently at work?  My friend says that after years of being caught up in worrying and stress at work and noticing his colleagues suffering the same fate, he realized that most of the time we either are worrying about the future or regretting what happened in the past.  Both of these states arise he felt, from fear.  The other thing most of us do he discovered, is that we get into an agitated state due to our various expectations. Am I going to get a raise this year, will I be promoted, I deserve more vacation time, and others all fall into this category.  So, to eliminate the stress from his work life he just decided to stop being fearful and to eliminate having any expectations of future rewards.  He would not fear of what could come in the future – a demotion in a re-org, or even a loss of his job. If those things happened, they happened. He would deal with them at the appropriate time if necessary.  And, he eliminated the expectations we all like to carry about what future rewards we are entitled to.  From now on, he had decided he would be content with what he had, where he was in the organization, and what his responsibilities were. He would totally accept what what the present moment brought him and contemplate nothing else.  His colleagues chided him – “Don’t you care”?  He said of course I do, I care that we do a quality job and focus on the task at hand.  My new friend says he has never felt better at work.  He is peaceful and more productive.  What a great combination.  I bet his senior management will also notice.  High productivity with no drama – something all leaders dream of for their organizations…

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[Snippet]

Ten Things to Do When You’re Feeling Hopeless – Step One: Give Up Hope.

http://goo.gl/Tx1paZ 

Great article on Mindfulness in Action…

 

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