Mindful Mornings

By Patti Bryant

On the surface, Mindful Mornings might look like just a book. But, it’s so much more. Good things happen when you take a few minutes to connect with the people around you. From the individual who felt they had no voice and how they grew into their future self as a leader to the new person who went from knowing no-one to having trusted friends in every department, Mindful Mornings helps elevate the work experience.

This book contains a year of daily conversation starters. It covers topics such as:
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Perseverance
- Productivity
- Failure
- Kindness

Taking a few minutes out of each day to come together with your team and discuss meaningful topics will bring forth a variety of benefits, including creating a sense of belonging, connecting departments, improving leadership skills, and so much more. Find resources to start your own Mindful Morning at mindful-mornings.org.

Don't have a team, or maybe you're a one person team? Sign up for the virtual Mindful Morning group at mindful-mornings.org to meet awesome people and start your day on a positive, encouraging note.

Welcome to the Mindful Morning movement!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patti Bryant
• Release date: Dec 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370216963

Patti Bryant

Patti Bryant lives in Denver, CO. She is the CEO and founder of Learning Reinvented and leader of the Online Network of Independent Learning Professionals worldwide community of over 600 members. Patti has worked with large organizations such as Chipotle and culture changing organizations such as The Marcus Buckingham Company to improve organizational effectiveness and profitability. Patti has a bachelors in Information Systems Security, a masters in E-Learning Instructional Implementation and Design, 8 years of training experience, and was voted 2015 Emerging Training Leader to Watch by Training Mag. A few years ago, she embarked on a “Mindful Journey” where she became very intentional about life. In 2013, she decided to help others be intentional as well, and began a Mindful Morning group in her workplace. This sparked the creation of this book, a tool for daily intentional living.

Book preview

Introduction

On the surface, Mindful Mornings might look like just a book. But, it’s so much more. I can’t guarantee you that Mindful Mornings will change your world, but I can absolutely tell you that good things happen when you take a few minutes to connect with the people around you. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. From the individual who felt they had no voice and how they grew into their future self as a leader to the new person who went from knowing no-one to having trusted friends in every department, Mindful Mornings helps elevate the work experience.

Research shows that a small number of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs. According to a 2015 article by Shawn Achor, titled Why Can’t We All Be Happy at Work? … in a recent study conducted in 142 countries, Gallup found that only 13 percent of employees worldwide are truly engaged in their jobs. 13 percent!

But, what if we could find a way to increase engagement? What are the benefits? Benefits include elevated retention rates, increased morale, heightened productivity, reduced turnover and absenteeism, reduced stress, healthier employees, higher customer ratings, higher profits, employees going above and beyond the requirement, higher innovation, and interdepartmental cooperation. There are tons of research and studies that have found a direct link between the level of engagement of employees and the overall success of a company.

In an article by S. Sarangi, titled Impact of Organizational Culture and Communication on Employee Engagement, Sarangi noted that striking emotional bonds with people and work in the organization enhances employee engagement. The article goes on to say that interdepartmental cooperation gives employees a sense of security and enhances belongingness with the organization. Employees that are more connected to each other have an increased level of employee engagement.

Many companies are providing fancy ways to impact engagement, from software to reports, to training, to spreadsheets. However, I believe the answer to increased engagement has been within us, you and me, this whole time. Mindful Mornings is a movement. It's a community creator. It increases engagement with one simple tool—this book. And, of course, YOU.

In 2013, my department began meeting every morning to discuss something inspirational. A few weeks later, others from various departments joined us. Every morning at 8:45 am, we met for 15 minutes to take turns reading and discussing something inspirational.

When I first began this group, I had no idea the benefits that would come from it. Now I know that this morning group bonded us, helped us through things we were struggling with, made us more united and effective across departments, and helped develop leaders and instill confidence.

Creating a safe environment for intentional conversations that may never happen otherwise can open so many doors for you and your team. For example, it’s easier to help or encourage someone in their goals and dreams if you know what they are.

It’s also a great way for new employees to meet people from other departments. For example, let’s say Lucy is in Marketing and needs to work with Finance. She knows Matt from Finance, because she sees him each morning in the group. It’s easier for her to approach Finance because she can start with Matt. New employees instantly have a group of people with which they can make connections and begin building relationships.

This book contains a year of daily conversation starters (excluding weekends). The topics include leadership, motivation, perseverance, productivity, failure, kindness, and tons of other topics. Welcome to the Mindful Morning movement—I’m so grateful to be on this journey with you!

For ‘Getting Started’ tips and to submit your own Mindful Morning day, visit http://www.mindful-mornings.org.

MONTH 1

WEEK 1

Day 1: Ask the Right Questions

Day 2: Become ‘Unstuck’

Day 3: Measure the Obstacle Against the Dream

Day 4: Gratitude Cards

Day 5: Encourage Someone

Day 1

Ask the Right Questions

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.

—Albert Einstein

A company that was receiving negative customer service reviews requested a customer service training program that would teach their employees about the basic principles of customer service. They hoped that this would reduce the amount of negative reviews they had been receiving. The person who would be creating the training asked to speak with their employees to ask a few questions, and the company agreed.

After speaking with the employees, they found that the company had instituted a new policy about a month ago. The policy significantly reduced the amount of time an employee could be on the phone with a customer. If the employee went over on their call time, it affected their bonus. Ultimately, this led to the employees rushing through calls to make sure they could meet the new policy, which resulted in negative customer service reviews.

The research found that the company needed to take a closer look at the call time policy instead of creating a new training program. What if the person who was to create this program didn’t ask any questions? Think of all of the time and money that would have been wasted, as it wouldn’t have solved the problem.

When you begin any project, the questions you ask are crucial to the success of that project. I have a particular set of questions that I’ve crafted over the years to pinpoint exactly what is needed and why. Sometimes, it means my services aren’t needed; instead it’s a whole different problem altogether. But, no matter what capacity we work in, our duty is to ask the right questions to determine the best direction.

Today’s Action: What kind of questions do you begin with when you’re faced with a new project? Share questions that you’ve found to be invaluable.

Day 2

Become ‘Unstuck’

Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.

—Hermann Hesse

Have you ever been stuck thinking for hours about a problem and finding yourself no closer to solving it than you were when you started? What if you’ve already taken breaks and you’re still stuck?

Sometimes, asking for help is the last thing we think about. The funny thing about this is, sometimes simply stating the challenge out loud can unstick it from your mind so you can see it more clearly. It also requires that you organize your thoughts, because when they’re in your mind, they’re a bit cluttered and flying all around.

Even if stating the problem out loud doesn’t help you immediately solve the problem, sometimes gaining another perspective is exactly what you need to move forward. The other person doesn’t need to be super familiar with your challenge. Simply describe it and listen to their thoughts. Even if they don’t have a solution, their questions may lead you to the solution.

Today’s Action: How do you generally tackle a challenge when you’re stuck? Have you ever answered your own question by stating it out loud to someone?

Day 3

Measure the Obstacle Against the Dream

When the water starts boiling, it is foolish to turn off the heat.

—Author Unknown

You’ve probably been through, going through, or will go through something difficult. Sometimes, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and other times it feels so bleak. One of my favorite reminders of perspective is to measure the obstacle against the dream.

While writing this book, I’ve gone through a divorce, questioned my faith, myself, and felt the passion slip from what I thought would be my career the rest of my life. Most of what I thought I knew is in question even as I type these words. But, even in the midst of it, I absolutely know it’s foolish to turn off the heat. As difficult as this period of time has been, I’ve learned more in it than I have in a lifetime. In fact, this year’s journey is what led to writing this book.

Today’s Action: What is something difficult you’re facing? Share it. Ask others for perspective! Or, what is something difficult you’ve gone through and what good came of it?

Day 4

Gratitude Cards

Don’t wait until people are dead to give them flowers.

—Sean Covey

I’ve had many incredible managers in my career. I have struggled with confidence for quite a long time, and each of them told me what they saw in me. One, in particular, made me rethink the impact I make on those around me. He asked me if I was interested in becoming a leader in the organization, and I told him that I wasn’t sure I could be that. He told me in very clear terms that I already was a leader and how my positive attitude affected those around me. He highlighted my super powers (strengths) and how they could be used to benefit the company, others, and ultimately, myself. In this conversation, he helped me see my future self.

What if he hadn’t shared his thoughts with me? Would I still be a leader? Probably. But, his words stick in my mind when I’m feeling inadequate or feel like giving up. They help provide me with the drive to keep going because I know his words are true.

The great thing is, it wasn’t just me that got something out of the conversation. He did, too. Psychologists have scientifically proven that one of the contributing factors of how happy you are is how much gratitude you show. In fact, if you write down why you're grateful for someone, your happiness will increase 2 – 4 percent. If you tell them, your happiness increases 4 – 19 percent.

Today’s Action: Get some gratitude cards (index cards—use your imagination) and write a quick note to someone(s). The note should include one of the following:

• Why you're grateful for them

• What you value in them

• What you admire about them

Day 5

Encourage Someone

If it were easy, everybody would do it.

—Barack Obama

One day, I was in the middle of writing a storyboard for a training course and was having an incredibly difficult time with making it simple. It’s actually really easy to make something complicated. It’s difficult to make it simple. In a moment of frustration, I said out loud, to no one in particular, "Why is this so hard?! and without missing a beat, a colleague said, If it were easy, everybody would do it." I’ve held onto this ever since. It’s true! While this was a pretty basic thing that I was doing, I remember this when I’m involved in creating new things, exploring unchartered territories, etc.

If you’re going through something challenging, congratulations! Something incredible will come from it. Persistence is key. Surround yourself with positive influences that will challenge and encourage you.

Today’s Action: Encourage someone today.

WEEK 2

Day 1: Be Clear

Day 2: Rise Above the Critics

Day 3: Why Your Critics Do Not Count

Day 4: Why Your Critics Do Not Count (cont.)

Day 5: You Are Who You Spend Time With

Day 1

Be Clear

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time—a tremendous whack.

— Winston Churchill

Have you ever seen a TV ad, but had no idea what product it was marketing? Or, have you ever left a presentation, but as you left the room you had no idea what the main point was, or what the presenter wanted you to do?

The next time you create a presentation or email communication, before you draft anything, write down the answers to these two questions:

1. What do I want people to KNOW?

2. What do I want people to DO?

Then, create your communication around your answers. Clarifying, even for yourself, the answers to these questions will help you create a much more solid, actionable communication. If you start providing information that doesn’t support these two questions, that’s a great opportunity to stop and ask yourself if that information is crucial. One of the things I always say is, If you tell them everything, you’ve told them nothing. Be short, to the point, and make it actionable.

By the way, in case you wondered what a pile driver is (from the quote above), it’s like a hammer that drives posts into the ground. If you did know, great! Otherwise, we’re all more educated now.

Today’s Action: How good are you at keeping your communications short and to the point? The next time you craft a communication, write down the answers to the questions from above.

Day 2

Rise Above the Critics

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

— Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt gave The Man in the Arena speech on April 23, 1910. He believed that one learned by doing, and that it is better to stumble than sit and criticize those who are actually doing something.

Today’s Action: Reflect on your thoughts about this excerpt. Have you ever unfairly judged someone who is stumbling, yet actually doing something? Discuss today’s quote.

Day 3

Why Your Critics Do Not Count

Brene Brown is a research professor who studies vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She has some very poignant thoughts on the quote you read yesterday.

Today’s Action: Either on your own or as a group, Google Brene Brown: Why Your Critics Aren’t the Ones Who Count and watch the video. It’s about 22 minutes. You’ll discuss it tomorrow.

Day 4

Why Your Critics Do Not Count (cont.)

If you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, then I’m not interested in your feedback.

— Brene Brown

Today’s Action: Discuss the video from yesterday.

Day 5

You Are Who You Spend Time With

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

— Jim Rohn

Have you ever started saying a word that isn’t normally in your vocabulary and thought, Why did I say that? Or, have you ever started cussing like a sailor when you previously never cussed at all? I once had a director who said the word right after every sentence. We’re an incredible team, right? she would say. Or, Let’s get this day started, right? The day I said the word right after a sentence, I knew I had spent a lot of time with this director. If that rubbed off on me, what else could be rubbing off on me, that I’m unaware of?

The point is, you are greatly influenced by those closest to you, including yourself. This can be good or bad. Once I understood this point, I decided to make the leap to approach people I admire and cultivate friendships. It can take some guts to tell someone that you admire them and want to get to know them. But, once I started intentionally spending time with them, my thought life changed in the most positive way. When you surround yourself with people of a high level of consciousness, it elevates you.

I also became intentional about what I watch, listen to, and the environment that I hang out in. Not only did I remove negative music, news, etc., but also I replaced them with positive podcasts, uplifting music, etc. What an incredible difference this makes!

Today’s Action: Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Do you want to be like them or should you adjust this list? What do you admire about them? Is there someone that you want to be in your five, but isn’t currently? Ask them to coffee, lunch, or happy hour to get to know them! People are more receptive than you might think.

WEEK 3

Day 1: Adjust Your Lens

Day 2: What You Think About, You Bring About

Day 3: How to Start a Movement

Day 4: Circle of Safety

Day 5: What You Should Start, Stop, and Continue Doing

Day 1

Adjust Your Lens

What you see depends on what you’re looking for.

— Joel Green

Imagine that you wake up in the morning and a series of crappy occurrences happen: you stub your toe on the bed, use your body wash instead of shampoo on your hair, and spill coffee on the shirt you really wanted to wear today. You have a choice to think, That’s just how today is going to go! or to laugh it off and think, Well, it will only get better from here!

You see the world through a projector lens. This lens creates your reality. Sometimes past occurrences distort this reality, but you have a choice in this. In the example above, if you choose to think that the day is going to go crappy, it absolutely will. In fact, you’ll make sure of it, because it’s a belief that you’ve created for the day and your belief is powerful. The energy that you emit will be negative and, therefore, you’ll receive negative energy back throughout the day. Or, if you take time to breathe and surrender, you’ll emit positive energy, and, therefore, you’ll receive positive energy back.

Think of how many choices we have throughout a single day to choose what we see through our lens.

Today’s Action: What are you looking for? Do you need to adjust your lens? Discuss.

Day 2

What You Think About, You Bring About

What you think about, you bring about.

— Bob Proctor

In the book E Squared by Pam Grout, Pam discusses nine experiments that prove that your thoughts create your reality. The premise of one of the experiments states, What shows up in our lives is a direct reflection of our inner thoughts and emotions. What are you thinking about most of the time? If you believed that the thoughts you think would come true, would you keep thinking them?

Today’s Action: In the E Squared book, one activity suggests that if you decide to look for sunset-beige cars, you’ll find them. Starting right now, consciously, actively look for something. It can be the sunset-beige car or whatever you decide. Look for this item for 24 hours and keep a record of how many times you see it.

Day 3

How to Start a Movement

The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.

— Derek Silvers

A TED Talk titled How to Start a Movement by Derek Silvers displays a movement happening, from start to finish, in less than 3 minutes and discusses lessons from it.

Today’s Action: Watch the TED Talk by Derek Silvers, How to Start a Movement. Then, discuss it.

Day 4

Circle of Safety

"Every single one of us should look at