Last Updated on February 29, 2024

Mindfulness is the most important skill that you can develop. Mindfulness is the act of focusing on the present moment. Whenever your mind wanders off, bring it back to the now, and don’t think about the past or the future; think about the current task.

It is where your power is, and you can accomplish the most. If you wander off thinking while working on something, you will lose focus, and it won’t come out as good. Or you won’t finish the task at all.

Some people waste many years of their lives being stuck on an issue. For example, ” I should have gone to college” or ” I can’t believe my girlfriend cheated on me.” They waste years replying to the same stories in their mind without moving on and focusing on what matters, which is the now.

The best parts of my life were practicing meditation and being in the moment minute by minute. Things just flowed and fell into place. Meditation helps you be in the moment by following your breath. For every exhale, count to 10. For every Inhale, count to 5. Whenever a distracting thought comes, focus on what’s in front of you and dismiss the distracting thought.

Another form that helps you to be in the moment is a Buddhist mantra, for example,
“Om mani padi umm”
These words make no sense; however, when said repeatedly in your mind, they help you be in the present. They also help to get rid of the things you have been stuck on in your mind, knowingly or unknowingly.

The benefits of staying in the present moment are incredible. You will find yourself not only being more productive but also calmer. There is also a Buddhist spiritual aspect of being In the present.

A seeker asked a Zen master for the secret to enlightenment. The master handed him a stone and said, “Find its value.” Days later, the seeker returned, puzzled. Smiling, the master asked, “What weighs more, your thoughts of the stone or the stone itself?” In that instant, the seeker realized enlightenment was seeing things as they are, not as he wished them to be, and in this simplicity, he found peace.

Supposedly, if you stay in the present for a long time, you will break away from your karma and reach a state of enlightenment. That is the Zen Buddhism perspective.

Even though perfect enlightenment might not be your goal, there has been proven research that shows mindfulness leads to less stress and better overall well-being.