As Turbo Thinkers, our minds tend to race like the wind, like Category 5 hurricane winds. How can we put our brains in the eye of the storm, where peace, calm and quiet reside? How can we let the storm pass, taking all of the debris with it and leaving us with our most important thoughts intact?Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to the present moment with kindness and curiosity. It involves pressing the pause button to thoughts racing into the past or into the future.

Many of my clients often experience a sense of being overwhelmed, sometimes daily, when they begin the coaching process. They may feel like they are juggling too many objects. They feel like someone is constantly throwing more things at them to keep in the air. And maybe some of those objects are water balloons, raw eggs or newborn babies.

Mornings have been chilly in New Orleans this week...well, by subtropical standards. And with sunrise so late, it’s still dark when my alarm goes off. Knowing that my friends will be waiting for me at the corner inspires me to get out of bed, put my running clothes on, grab the leash and go. My dog, of course, sees no challenge whatsoever in this scenario

There are so many things for which to be grateful this year. Call me Pollyanna, but I am addicted to my attitude of gratitude. How can you begin to list the positive things in your life? For example, I am grateful for my sun-filled home, for my son’s sense of humor, for my daughter’s sense of responsibility, for my cat’s purrs, for my dog’s unconditional love, for my good health, etc.

How do you want to feel? In many initial consults, clients begin to list all of their shortcomings, negative traits, challenges and inabilities. They often begin to list all of the major tasks they have failed to complete, or even begin. They wallow in how awful they feel, stuck in a spiral of shame and overwhelm.

What types of affirmations do work for Turbo thinkers? In my experience, the ones that work best are the ones that you make up yourself. Through a process of self discovery, you become reacquainted with your most authentic self.

How do you turn around a negative belief system? Who would you be without those negative thoughts? What would be possible? No one is thinking those thoughts but you. What are the facts? What is the reality? How can you bring your thoughts back to the present moment and align your mind with your body?

How can we put ourselves in a position to give and receive comfort and coziness? How can we beam out loving energy?

Thank you, COVID-19 for providing me with the opportunity to reinvent myself. You have pushed me to get out of my comfort zone, to let go, to seek new solutions and to learn from my mistakes. You have made me the Regent of Resilience. You have thrown changes into my face, like a glass of ice water. Thanks.

Before action, there must be thought. Turbo thinkers tend to be an impulsive bunch, so how can you pause to think before you act? How can you choose the most appropriate and effective action? Turbo thinkers tend to struggle with decision-making, so how can you reflect on what action would be most aligned to your objective?

Before setting your new year’s resolutions, take time to celebrate how far you have come this past year. Review all that you have learned, what you will repeat and what you will leave behind. Celebrate your talents and strengths. Look at how awesome you have become! And the best is yet to come!

Now is a good time to plant that seed and start thinking about opportunities. What went well for you in 2019? What were you able to accomplish? What did you enjoy doing most? Celebrate the successes you experienced. What would you like to repeat? What would you like to improve? What was missing? What do you need to be your best self? To live your life according to your purpose?

We often feel that the rejection of an idea we have or a role we’d like to fulfill is a rejection of us as a person. Another person’s opinion or oversight can make us feel unworthy or unloved. Our creative minds wander to extrapolate from the simple rejection to the worst possible scenario. It is human to sometimes think “I am not good enough” or “I am not worthy” but not healthy to stay in that mindset.

A growth mindset is an essential part to leading a productive, effective and full life. To cultivate a growth mindset, we should teach others to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy making an effort, and to always keep learning.

A great question is: How can you continually try to learn as a way of curating a growth mindset? There is no one answer because we all have our own learning style. So I would say, think back to a time when you were able to master a mountain of complicated material or a certain challenging skill.

Last week my sister, Cristina, called during my lunch break. The timing was perfect. I was just sitting down to a large fresh salad on my sunny back porch and we could catch up.

There are two quotes from Buddha that come to mind:“There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path.”

Adela Baker is the force behind Mind Coach NOLA. Big things are on the horizon for 2019 & we can’t wait to share them with you! In the meantime see what 5 Life Lessons Adela finds most valuable…

Do you feel like you don’t have what it takes? Do you feel that you don’t deserve it all? What is that costing you? How does it affect your life? How do you want to feel? How would that benefit you? What would be possible for you if you let that belief go? On a scale of 1-10, what is it worth to you to transform this?

I was just discussing this topic with a client this morning! She had the external distractions under control (phone, internet, chatty colleagues) but could not fully immerse herself in her work because of internal distractions (her own mind). So that’s the question: How can you control your thoughts to be most productive?