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getting a ‘feel’ for what you are writing, rather than merely analyzing the content.

Instead of demanding of yourself that your work meet a certain standard, ask yourself “what would I like to write if I could write anything in the world?”

Recognize that “If’s” have their purpose, but just ask yourself if you could let go of the particular “if” for just this moment.

The need for perfection

1. Analysis paralysis

Being good enough

Letting your opinion of yourself shape the quality of your writing is something we all do but few of us realize

Motivation and rationalization (“I’ll do it tomorrow”)

Become mindful that you are withdrawing into yourself and ruminating, rather than expressing yourself externally. Notice when you begin thinking about a task rather than doing it and ask yourself “would I rather internalize and think right now to no end or would I rather be producing something real right now?” Use mindfulness to catch yourself and transform rumination into action on-the-spot.

Becoming mindful of the value you assign your writing involves setting aside time every day to write and treating it as almost a “sacred space.”

Quick tips for mindful writing

your ability to handle information and manage your time.

message needs more thought, move it to your to-do list.

Take action on an email as soon as you read it.

multitasking is deadly. But it decreases everyone’s productivity,

practicing mindfulness as a way to break the multitasking habit.

spends an hour on the most important thing on her to-do list.

much more likely to go back to it once you’ve gotten it started.

organize the night before

“People want a predictable response, not an immediate response.”

discover yours by monitoring your productivity over a period of time.

keep your best time free for your most important work.

break own my projects into chunks

actually responds to some things more slowly

planning one’s work are also mission-critical tasks.” 

Each person has a best time

When you're bummed out, the mere act of smiling can cheer you up. The reasons for this effect have yet to be pinpointed, but one study at the University of Kansas in Lawrence reveals that flashing a grin slows down your heart rate during stress and chills you out.

is a persistent myth.

The concentration benefits of mindfulness training aren’t just behavioral; they’re physical. In recent years, mindfulness has been shown to improve connectivity inside our brain’s attentional networks, as well as between attentional and medial frontal regions — changes that save us from distraction.

the core of mindfulness is the ability to pay attention. That’s exactly what Holmes does when he taps together the tips of his fingers, or exhales a fine cloud of smoke. He is centering his attention on a single element.