What does mindfulness mean as a core value?
Mindfulness as a core value means paying full attention to the present moment, noticing what you’re doing, thinking and feeling while it’s happening, without rushing to judge it.
Half-listening while planning tomorrow, eating lunch over email, reading a bedtime story while thinking about work: most of us spend a lot of the day somewhere other than where we are. Mindfulness is the choice to be in the moment you’re actually in. For some it grows from meditation; for others it’s simply how they prefer to live. If it’s a core value, you notice the cost of autopilot more than most, and you value a conversation where both people are fully there.
What does mindfulness look like in practice?
- You put your phone away when someone is talking to you.
- You notice what you’re feeling before you react to it.
- You take a few slow breaths before walking into a difficult meeting.
- You eat, walk or play with your children without doing something else at the same time.
- You make regular space for stillness, whether that’s meditation, a quiet walk or simply sitting.
When is mindfulness overplayed?
Mindfulness can become one more thing to get right. You may judge yourself for every distracted moment, use present-moment focus to avoid planning for a future that needs attention, or retreat into observing when a situation needs action. Some people use it to keep difficult emotions at arm’s length. At its best, this value is curious and kind. It’s worth checking, after ten quiet minutes, how ready you feel to get stuck into the day. That’s often a good sign of whether the practice is working for you.
Often confused with
Mindfulness vs Awareness
Awareness is knowing what’s going on in and around you. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your attention to the present moment, and keeping it there.
Mindfulness vs Calmness
Calmness is a settled state of mind. Mindfulness is about attention, and you can be fully present to a moment that’s anything but calm.
Mindfulness vs Spirituality
Spirituality is attending to the inner and transcendent life. Mindfulness can be part of that, and for many people it’s simply a practical habit with no spiritual dimension.
Questions to sit with
- What do you most often do on autopilot, and what are you missing because of it?
- Who gets your full attention, and who usually gets a distracted version of you?
- Which feelings do you notice quickly, and which do you only spot once they’ve taken over?
More values in Grace
Calm, composure and a quiet, balanced life.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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