The Practising Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life

Pashalis said:
[...]He is currently working on his next book called: "Fully Engaged: Using the Practicing Mind in Daily Life" which will be published in October:

http://www.amazon.de/Fully-Engaged-Using-Practicing-Daily/dp/1608684326/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460133627&sr=8-2&keywords=the+practicing+mind

Can't wait to read it actually...[...]
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He just published his new book! As mentioned above, it is called "Fully Engaged: Using the Practicing Mind in Daily Life".
Right now only kindle is available, but I guess the hardcover and audio book will follow soon:

https://www.amazon.de/Fully-Engaged-Using-Practicing-Daily/dp/1608684326/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476855919&sr=8-1&keywords=fully+engaged

Haven't read it yet, but will give an update as soon as I've done so. :read:

Here is a short summary from Sterner about the book:

https://youtu.be/n64g8YLh1VU
 
13 Twirling Triskeles said:
Thank you all for your comments and to Pashalis for making us aware of this little gem of a book which can help us do the Work by changing old habits and creating new neural pathways. :)
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Ditto, thanks so much for this Pashalis! I was listening to the videos you shared and really enjoyed how he talks and addresses the topics. I just started listening to the audio-book, i'll see how it goes, and share my experience with you guys! Thanks again! :D :lkj:
 
Thank you really much for sharing this discovery. It all makes a lot of sense and I appreciated those videos too.
I will order it now as I feel it is crucial to get a better understanding of my general attitude towards life, suffering, self-perception and self-representation.
 
This looks like a pretty fascinating book; going to check it out! Thanks for the heads-up & excerpts Pashalis ☺
 
There is also a audiobook version of this book here: _http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/The-Practicing-Mind-Audiobook/B004BU7RH4/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1489600907&sr=1-1
 
Thanks Pashalis,

just ordering it now. Something i could very much use, focus and discipline. Much appreciated mate!!
 
Thanks Pashalis, looks interesting, just started reading the first book :)
 
This was actually a really good book Pashalis. mirrors very heavily some of what G. says about the observer and the true self within. Also i really liked some of the other techniques or how to actually live in the moment and his use of changing end product goals to process goals. Overall and excellent read and i look forward to reading the authors second book!! cheers mate
 
latulipenoire said:
987baz said:
Thanks Pashalis, looks interesting, just started reading the first book :)
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Ditto! Thank you Pashalis, I've just ordered the first book!
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Very interesting Parhalis!Definitely planing to pick it up myself. Thank you!
 
I'm currently reading this book and find it very helpful.

The main idea sounds simple and straight-forward: focus on the present moment, on the process, instead of the outcome. Yet, it's so damn difficult! Reading this book is a great reminder and inspiration to get better at this.

In my experience, I get the best results when I get into the mindset of "I love what I'm doing right now". I try this for example with job-related tasks, especially if I dread them or feel blocked - kind of "this is what I love doing, and so I will do my very best!". Then, when I manage to get into a kind of flow that isn't concerned with the outcome but with the process, it's both more fun and the results are better. I'm also less afraid of a bad outcome because I know I have given my best, and if the outcome is bad, I know there's something to learn there for me.

The same goes for everything else, be it projects, chores etc. - once you stay in the present, enjoy what you are currently doing and forget about the past and future for a moment, then things turn out good and less stressful. It's really really hard though, and that's why I like this book - you can't have enough reminders of this mindset, and it always helps to read the same message in different words and with different examples. Looking forward to finishing it!
 
luc said:
I'm currently reading this book and find it very helpful.

The main idea sounds simple and straight-forward: focus on the present moment, on the process, instead of the outcome. Yet, it's so damn difficult! Reading this book is a great reminder and inspiration to get better at this.

In my experience, I get the best results when I get into the mindset of "I love what I'm doing right now". I try this for example with job-related tasks, especially if I dread them or feel blocked - kind of "this is what I love doing, and so I will do my very best!". Then, when I manage to get into a kind of flow that isn't concerned with the outcome but with the process, it's both more fun and the results are better. I'm also less afraid of a bad outcome because I know I have given my best, and if the outcome is bad, I know there's something to learn there for me.

The same goes for everything else, be it projects, chores etc. - once you stay in the present, enjoy what you are currently doing and forget about the past and future for a moment, then things turn out good and less stressful. It's really really hard though, and that's why I like this book - you can't have enough reminders of this mindset, and it always helps to read the same message in different words and with different examples. Looking forward to finishing it!
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That's my experience as well. First you set an aim, then proceed to do things that will hopefully eventually get you there, but instead of being impatient and anticipating, you focus on the steps that are invaluable for learning and growing.

We can compare two people that have the same goal, i.e. reading a book. One is wasting his energy on thoughts about when he will finally be done, the other enjoys the process and better absorbs the information in the book. Even though the end goal is the same, the quality of how the goal is achieved is different.
 
Anthony said:
luc said:
I'm currently reading this book and find it very helpful.

The main idea sounds simple and straight-forward: focus on the present moment, on the process, instead of the outcome. Yet, it's so damn difficult! Reading this book is a great reminder and inspiration to get better at this.

In my experience, I get the best results when I get into the mindset of "I love what I'm doing right now". I try this for example with job-related tasks, especially if I dread them or feel blocked - kind of "this is what I love doing, and so I will do my very best!". Then, when I manage to get into a kind of flow that isn't concerned with the outcome but with the process, it's both more fun and the results are better. I'm also less afraid of a bad outcome because I know I have given my best, and if the outcome is bad, I know there's something to learn there for me.

The same goes for everything else, be it projects, chores etc. - once you stay in the present, enjoy what you are currently doing and forget about the past and future for a moment, then things turn out good and less stressful. It's really really hard though, and that's why I like this book - you can't have enough reminders of this mindset, and it always helps to read the same message in different words and with different examples. Looking forward to finishing it!
Click to expand...

That's my experience as well. First you set an aim, then proceed to do things that will hopefully eventually get you there, but instead of being impatient and anticipating, you focus on the steps that are invaluable for learning and growing.

We can compare two people that have the same goal, i.e. reading a book. One is wasting his energy on thoughts about when he will finally be done, the other enjoys the process and better absorbs the information in the book. Even though the end goal is the same, the quality of how the goal is achieved is different.
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I'm still reading the book and I must say it really helps us to stay in the present moment, hard as it is. Luc, you've described very well what we can accomplish while focusing on the process and not on the outcome, no matter how boring or dull our works seem to be. I've experienced more or less the same good outcomes you've mentioned when not stressing about the outcomes at all! It's really amazing! It gives us much self-acceptance and understanding of our mechanical thoughts and feelings, such as impatience and irritation.

I think the example about the book is very good too, Anthony, and it could apply to myself as I'm trying to finish reading the book...=)
Another example I'd like to share is found in the book. The author writes that when he tried to apply these techniques to his job (fixing, preparing and tuning musical instruments) he actually was very productive, even though he thought he was going in super slow mode of doing things. He strived to pick just one tool at a time, instead of putting his tool box nearby and rushing the process in order to be on time for his other assignments of the day.

For my part, it really works in most cases. When it doesn't work you usually get a chance to observe some negative parts of your mind running the show for a while. I tell myself that one day they won't run the show anymore.
 
latulipenoire said:
[...]Another example I'd like to share is found in the book. The author writes that when he tried to apply these techniques to his job (fixing, preparing and tuning musical instruments) he actually was very productive, even though he thought he was going in super slow mode of doing things. He strived to pick just one tool at a time, instead of putting his tool box nearby and rushing the process in order to be on time for his other assignments of the day.

For my part, it really works in most cases. When it doesn't work you usually get a chance to observe some negative parts of your mind running the show for a while. I tell myself that one day they won't run the show anymore.
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Yes it is amazing what difference such small things can make. I also tried to apply that principle to do something deliberately slow and with full attention and orderly. I found it helpful to tell my self "do it slow" or "slow down" every time I found myself in a hurry (which is pretty much all the time). One becomes aware how much energy can literally be wasted when one has not the full attention on any given task, plus how much longer it takes. In those moments you don't apply it (which happens to be quite often) you can watch yourself doing and thinking things that are utterly useless for the task at hand and wastes incredible amounts of energy.

For example, lets say you have to do something at work, this is your task in this moment. Now you notice that your focus is on so many things at the same time, you nervously do unnecessary moves on top of that, because you are not present. In one moment you have something in your hand that belongs to the task, in the next you notice that you do something else altogether out of pure habit, in the next your mind is somewhere else, in the next you find yourself at a different place where you don't have to be to finish this task, then you notice that you have put this or that tool unnecessarily here or there and you have to exert even more time and energy to bring it back to where it belongs for this task and so on. You literally start to notice how scattered and automatic we are without full focus and how much energy and time that wasted by it. It is incredible. It is like watching a disoriented running around.

It also makes clearer what Gurdjieff meant when he talked about movements and associations that spoil so much energy every day if one doesn't start the work.
 
Pashalis said:
For example, lets say you have to do something at work, this is your task in this moment. Now you notice that your focus is on so many things at the same time, you nervously do unnecessary moves on top of that, because you are not present. In one moment you have something in your hand that belongs to the task, in the next you notice that you do something else altogether out of pure habit, in the next your mind is somewhere else, in the next you find yourself at a different place where you don't have to be to finish this task, then you notice that you have put this or that tool unnecessarily here or there and you have to exert even more time and energy to bring it back to where it belongs for this task and so on. You literally start to notice how scattered and automatic we are without full focus and how much energy and time that wasted by it. It is incredible. It is like watching a disoriented running around.
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Just wanted to share a personal example of what you described above. Right now I am working at the veterinary clinic, and one of my responsibilities is being an anesthesiologist during surgeries. It includes preparing the surgery room and all the equipment, preparing the animal for surgery, and doing the in-surgery monitoring and anesthesia. It is a fascinating field, although also very scary and stressful one, since I am responsible for the life of an animal. Unfortunately, any anesthesia is not without risks, even if minimal ones. But in most cases if one is properly prepared and pays attention, the surgery goes without a hitch.

When I only started doing this job I was naturally more stressed and disorganized. And one of the main constructive criticisms and observations that I got for the head anesthesiologist, that I am wasting too much time and energy by doing too many unnecessary moves. Each surgery has a specific allotted time, so it is essential to not only be quick, but also efficient with the time. The head doctor understood that it was due to the lack of experience, and assured me that it should become better with time. Interestingly enough, other doctors made similar observations, that by trying to do something quickly, I was actually wasting more time and energy, because from aside it looked as if I was making too many sharp and nervous moves. And that it steamed from trying to do several things at ones, instead of concentrating and doing something quickly enough, but also deliberately. Thinking while acting.

And I hate to say that this issue of "doing many unnecessary moves" is still present to this very day. It is better than it was before, but is still far from ideal. It frustrates me to no end, especially since the doctors keep reminding me about it. ;) But then it acts as a perfect alarm clock, and the way of getting constructive feedback. Especially since I would like to become proficient in Emergency and Critical care. And there is no room for time wasting on unnecessary moves in this field. So that's a challenge, but a doable one, because for example there was a super busy day when I actually did an experiment and did things more slowly, but deliberately. Surprisingly enough, it was one of the days when things got done well and on time, for the total satisfaction of myself and the surgeon. :)
 
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