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Book-Summary - The Practicing Mind

  • Author: Thomas M. Sterner

  • GoodReads: The Practicing Mind

  • Concentrate on the journey rather than end goal. Enjoy the work being done rather than thinking of end goal and it’s fruits.
    • This will reduce the frustration. As each work you are doing might feel like some extra work to reach goal if you keep thinking of end goal
  • Judgement of our work will bring worry, tension and stress. With judgement we are making an activity/work as good or bad / right or wrong. This will lead to an emotional trap of why I am doing this task or why I am not doing it or why did I not do it or why did I do it. We think and try to answer them instead of doing actual work.
  • Japanese way of Thinking - For a question, don’t you have a manager or supervisor to tell what to do - Why would I need a supervisor to tell me how I need to do my job? That is my job
  • All ways keep yourself process oriented
  • Stay at present
  • Make process the goal and over all goal as the rudder to steer our thoughts
  • Have an intention and be aware of that intention. Just do not brood over that intention.
  • We usually pick a point in reference in the future and then keep thinking, nothing is right until we reach that point. Example, when we are doing a project, we think of effects/accolades once we complete this project. Once we think of that, immediate tasks of this project will feel so much as I have to climb/complete so much of work to reach that desired state. 
  • Remember that in our life, only few solutions will apply for most of the problems. We will be revisiting the solutions many times in our life.
  • In order to develop habit we need to practice.
  • The real joy is the ability to learn and experience growth moment by moment
  • For any work, we need to do following things to enjoy the process
    • Simplify - The work we take up should be simplified to understand what is expected of it or simple to do. Basically very basic.
    • short - It should be able to do it a short period
    • small - It should be small work
    • slow - Do the work slowly - deliberately slow so that we immerse ourselves into it.
  • For any work, follow these steps -
    • Do
    • observe
    • create
  • Children are always in present, they cannot think of tomorrow and even if they think it would be very light thought. Adults always think of future or past and are never in the present. Hence there is always a miscommunication and different priorities for adults and children. Both needs to learn from each other
    • For children, practice delayed gratification. So that, they understand about how emotions can affect their choices.
    • Let children know of your current problems in a lighter way so that they observe you and understand how you will be dealing with problems
    • Listen to kids when they something. Do not just ignore their talks.
    • Remind them of their commitments.
  • When dealing with emotionally charged up discussion with your mind or in an emotional trap/guilt trip - ask yourself What then?
    • I should have done like that then things will be different. - What then?
    • I should have replied like this then I could have taught them a lesson - What then?