The Secret Tool for Problem Solving and Creativity
At the Dog Gurus we love win/win/win solutions and the secret tool that helps you solve problems quickly and be more creative is also great self-care…meditation. The meditation we are talking about is not religious based or woo woo. In fact I love hearing more and more successful business people share the positive impact of a regular meditation practice on their lives, both professional and personal. One headline in a search even proclaims “Meditation is the New Edge in Successful Business Leadership”. So if you’ve never tried it or have been unsuccessful with consistency this post will help.
We hope to encourage you to give meditation a try with some easy to get started tips.
- Use an app
- Start with short sessions
- Try some guided visualization sessions
- Schedule it daily
- Don’t worry about doing it wrong
I’ve been a daily meditator since October 2014 and credit it for improving my productivity, happiness and removing feelings of anger or frustration 99% of the time. I would never have succeeded without using my meditation app: Insight Timer. There are several meditation apps available so check them out and try a few. I recommend choosing one that includes a timer plus guided meditations. When I reviewed Insight Timer I saw they had a one-minute guided meditation; that made me realize that I could do this every day. There is no reason to not be able to find one minute in the day to meditate. That little meditation is very calming and when life on the road is busy it’s my go-to. I’ve used it in the airport and waiting in line at Starbucks.
If it’s hard for you to sit still and clear your mind, then start with very short sessions. Try a one minute guided session the first day. On the second day try a one minute timer sessions. Don’t beat yourself up and feel like you fail if you have thoughts come into your mind. That is normal the key is to just say to yourself, “thought” and dismiss it. Try to get back to a clear mind for a few seconds. Meditation is definitely a practice and it can take time to master clearing your mind for a minute or more. Just keep at it and gradually increase the length of your sessions. Think about an end goal for your session length, either 10 or 15 minutes and work up to it. Add a minute a day or a week until you get there.
Guided visualizations are also great for beginners and add variety to your sessions. They are a great way to transition to quieting your mind which is the ultimate goal of meditating. Everyone benefits from allowing regular quiet time each day for inspiration and creativity. It’s an important contrast to the busyness of our lives today. You’ll find with a regular practice that solutions to problems come to you quicker and easier. It may not happen during the meditation session, but often shortly thereafter when you are not focused on it anymore.
For best results I do recommend creating a daily meditation practice or habit. There are multiple health benefits to stopping and being calm and quiet for a few minutes. Take deep breaths to help you relax and prepare both your body and mind for your session. Just practicing deep breathing daily is beneficial as you’ll find it a great tool for controlling your emotions. Anytime something comes up during the day that is upsetting pause and take three deep breaths, your body will start to relax and your mind calm. You’ll soon find it easy to stay off the emotional roller coaster.
Finally do not over analyze or worry about if you are meditating correctly. Let it become your personal method that works for you and your schedule. The key is to make a commitment to get started and adapt as you go. I meditate first thing upon waking up in the morning in my bed. There are books and gurus that will say this breaks the meditation rules. At first this concerned me, but now I just focus on enjoying the results of my daily practice.
Personally, I find that I rarely get angry or upset when life throws me curve balls. I have much more patience with my family, human and fur kids, which makes me much more fun to hang out with. This makes daily life more of a joy to me than before I started meditating. Professionally, I do credit meditation with boosting my productivity and inspiring new products and programs. Many times Robin and I will discuss something and end our conversation unsure of the answer. We trust that we’ll get an answer and it consistently does come to one of us at the perfect time.
