One Simple Way to Acquire 2020 Focus

Many, including myself, have written articles on the power of meditation. Scientific research supports the benefits of meditation such as greater happiness, an improved sense of well-being, better emotional control, less anxiety, and improved focus. There is a myriad of books, videos, and apps focused on how to meditate. Capitalism has a way of taking a new trend and creating a plethora of products and services to increase wealth, which is fine with me because it raises awareness of the benefits of the over 2000-year-old practice of meditation.

Many successful individuals have expressed the benefits of daily meditation in their life—such as Jack Dorsey (Twitter CEO), Marc Benioff (Salesforce CEO), Andrew Cherng (Panda Express founder), Oprah Winfrey (Billionaire entrepreneur), and Meghan Markle (Duchess of Sussex). Indeed, successful athletes, especially those in combat sports, tennis, and golf, have used meditation techniques to stay in the moment where their mental focus is paramount. Additionally, the practice is increasingly being offered in schools, healthcare facilities, and prisons to improve well-being.

I have been a long proponent of meditation, but my recent “OMG” moment came from an 18-year-old tennis player, Bianca Andreescu. She was ranked 178 in the world on the 1^st of January 2019. Only three months later, she was ranked 23^rd—and she ended 2019 ranked 5th in the world. When asked how she managed this unprecedented winning streak, here was her response:

“I wake up every morning, and the first thing I do is I meditate . . . I take 15 minutes every morning just to get in tune with my body, my mind. I visualize myself having a good day, like, stuff like that.”

Such a wise 18-year-old. So simple, right?

The key, of course, is incorporating meditation as part of your daily practice, just like brushing your teeth. While you might not be a top athlete, celebrity, or corporate CEO, you can still get the same benefits. It would help if you found a good reason to start that is authentic to your current needs.

Try these simple steps to get started with meditation.

• Take 10-15 minutes of alone time daily.
• Focus on an object.
• Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
• Repeat a positive phrase or concentrate on breathing in and out
  (both techniques can keep the mind from wandering).
• If your mind wanders, acknowledge it, then bring it back to the present moment.

What is your experience with meditation?