Although I come as someone who was, at one point, helped by mindfulness, lately I am questioning whether there really is as much to it as popular media would have you believe, or there are other ways to obtain the same benefits, only to a greater extent, and faster.
I am of the opinion that beliefs matter, and they matter a great deal. What you think, and how you think matters. Your goal if you want to be a productive entrepreneur isn't just to observe your mindset but to change it. To sharpen it. To transmute limiting beliefs, into empowering beliefs.
Because ultimately your results emerge out of your decisions, and your decisions emerge out of your beliefs and mindset, which form your identity.
So is setting aside 1 hour to meditate every day really helping you be more productive? Or is it rather an escape? A coping mechanism that you employ to get away from the work, rather than to jump into it and tackle it?
Wouldn't it be better to visualize yourself doing the work, remind yourself constantly why what you're doing matters to you (what's your purpose?), concentrate on the end result, and be driven to succeed all the while you're working? Isn't having a big WHY, visualizing success, practicing optimism, and ruthlessly working to put empowering beliefs in your subconscious mind better than mindfulness?
Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as: "the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally". The focus of mindfulness is on awareness, on letting be. I think this focus, and the whole attitude promoted by it, is actually destructive of productivity in the long run. Sure, if you're troubled by depression and anxiety, mindfulness can give you the "respite" you need to break away from it, and get a handle on yourself, so that you can become more productive - you can stop spending time depressed, and actually doing something useful (when you stop meditating, I might add). But apart from such situations, its uses seem limited, and more likely to be harmful.
Instead of judging your negative beliefs, you pay attention to them, on purpose, non-judgementally. You let them be. While you're practicing mindfulness, when you notice a negative belief, you're supposed to put your attention back on the breath. Not question the negative belief, not ask yourself if it really is true, not consider if the belief helps, or hinders you from reaching your goal. If your focus is on noticing what is going on in the present, that means that your focus isn't on your goal, which is always in the future.
So there is this unspoken of battle between mindfulness as a practice which teaches you to return your attention to the breath and let go of your beliefs (because they are just thoughts, etc. etc.) and the other approach which says: have a negative belief? Start questioning it. Ask yourself if it's useful, if it's helping you. And do something about it.
The additional point I have here is that meditation may (there isn't sufficient research yet) contribute to ego-depletion. Using your System 2 (from Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow, a great read) to concentrate on some activity depletes willpower. You have limited willpower. If you concentrate on being mindful, which is an effort of your willpower in controlling your attention, it's very likely that you will cause some ego-depletion. The result of this is that you'll be less likely to be motivated when the next obstacle comes along.
If I look at some peak performers, especially in endurance (whether sports or business) where the mind game is very important, I don't see them being big on mindfulness. David Goggins, Jocko Willink, Alex Becker, etc. - none of them seem fans. And yet, their achievements are unquestioned. So I question whether mindfulness really plays an important role in productivity.
Sure, I am aware of people like Tim Ferris who claim many of the millionaires he interviewed practice mindfulness, or Ray Dalio, Steve Jobs etc. I'm not sure whether those people practice mindfulness just because it's popular, or it actually helps them be more productive (or they practice it for some other reason - clarity of mind, etc.)
I agree that, when it comes to relaxation, mindfulness can be helpful. But then there are other ways to achieve relaxation: pray, read a good novel, watch a movie, talk with a friend. Why should we prefer to meditate, rather than the other possibilities we have to relax? Especially when you consider the possible risks associated with mindfulness itself.
Anyway, just some thoughts on the subject I thought I'd share with the rest of the community. Just to make it clear, I don't have a dogmatic attitude about this, if it helps you good, just sharing some thoughts
P.S. Might as well add this: Mindfulness is demotivating
I am of the opinion that beliefs matter, and they matter a great deal. What you think, and how you think matters. Your goal if you want to be a productive entrepreneur isn't just to observe your mindset but to change it. To sharpen it. To transmute limiting beliefs, into empowering beliefs.
Because ultimately your results emerge out of your decisions, and your decisions emerge out of your beliefs and mindset, which form your identity.
So is setting aside 1 hour to meditate every day really helping you be more productive? Or is it rather an escape? A coping mechanism that you employ to get away from the work, rather than to jump into it and tackle it?
Wouldn't it be better to visualize yourself doing the work, remind yourself constantly why what you're doing matters to you (what's your purpose?), concentrate on the end result, and be driven to succeed all the while you're working? Isn't having a big WHY, visualizing success, practicing optimism, and ruthlessly working to put empowering beliefs in your subconscious mind better than mindfulness?
Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as: "the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally". The focus of mindfulness is on awareness, on letting be. I think this focus, and the whole attitude promoted by it, is actually destructive of productivity in the long run. Sure, if you're troubled by depression and anxiety, mindfulness can give you the "respite" you need to break away from it, and get a handle on yourself, so that you can become more productive - you can stop spending time depressed, and actually doing something useful (when you stop meditating, I might add). But apart from such situations, its uses seem limited, and more likely to be harmful.
Instead of judging your negative beliefs, you pay attention to them, on purpose, non-judgementally. You let them be. While you're practicing mindfulness, when you notice a negative belief, you're supposed to put your attention back on the breath. Not question the negative belief, not ask yourself if it really is true, not consider if the belief helps, or hinders you from reaching your goal. If your focus is on noticing what is going on in the present, that means that your focus isn't on your goal, which is always in the future.
So there is this unspoken of battle between mindfulness as a practice which teaches you to return your attention to the breath and let go of your beliefs (because they are just thoughts, etc. etc.) and the other approach which says: have a negative belief? Start questioning it. Ask yourself if it's useful, if it's helping you. And do something about it.
The additional point I have here is that meditation may (there isn't sufficient research yet) contribute to ego-depletion. Using your System 2 (from Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow, a great read) to concentrate on some activity depletes willpower. You have limited willpower. If you concentrate on being mindful, which is an effort of your willpower in controlling your attention, it's very likely that you will cause some ego-depletion. The result of this is that you'll be less likely to be motivated when the next obstacle comes along.
If I look at some peak performers, especially in endurance (whether sports or business) where the mind game is very important, I don't see them being big on mindfulness. David Goggins, Jocko Willink, Alex Becker, etc. - none of them seem fans. And yet, their achievements are unquestioned. So I question whether mindfulness really plays an important role in productivity.
Sure, I am aware of people like Tim Ferris who claim many of the millionaires he interviewed practice mindfulness, or Ray Dalio, Steve Jobs etc. I'm not sure whether those people practice mindfulness just because it's popular, or it actually helps them be more productive (or they practice it for some other reason - clarity of mind, etc.)
I agree that, when it comes to relaxation, mindfulness can be helpful. But then there are other ways to achieve relaxation: pray, read a good novel, watch a movie, talk with a friend. Why should we prefer to meditate, rather than the other possibilities we have to relax? Especially when you consider the possible risks associated with mindfulness itself.
Anyway, just some thoughts on the subject I thought I'd share with the rest of the community. Just to make it clear, I don't have a dogmatic attitude about this, if it helps you good, just sharing some thoughts
P.S. Might as well add this: Mindfulness is demotivating
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum:
Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:
- all kidding aside, what you're saying may be true, but they certainly don't claim they meditate:
