Mindfulness Practices for Creators, Achievers and Sustainers

Mindfulness for the Creator

Creators are imaginative, spontaneous and full of ideas. At times, however, their abundance of thoughts and impressions can lead to restlessness and disorder.

1. The Double-Arrow Effect

Direct your attention towards the outside world. Whether you are looking at another person, an object or something in nature, remain aware of what you are seeing while simultaneously observing what it evokes within you.

When you look at a beautiful flower, for example, you may feel your heart opening. You may notice how deeply its beauty touches you and how nourishing this experience feels.

Of course, not everything we encounter is pleasant. You may look at a colleague and immediately notice an uncomfortable feeling arising within you.

The Double-Arrow Effect means observing this inner response without immediately trying to change it or act upon it.

Instead of reacting by becoming irritated, speaking harshly or withdrawing, you simply recognise:

This person is triggering an uncomfortable feeling within me.

That is all. You do not need to judge the feeling, suppress it or turn it into an immediate reaction.

When this way of observing the outer and inner worlds becomes natural to you, your perception becomes clearer.

This practice can be particularly liberating during meetings. Open and undistorted awareness helps us make better decisions, communicate more consciously and become stronger team players.

2. Bringing Order to Your Workspace

As a Creator, you may find it difficult to establish order and maintain it—especially when drawers, boxes and cupboards contain countless small items.

You may have sorted and reorganised everything many times, only to find that the clutter soon returns.

Why not approach the project again, but this time create a structure that is easier to maintain?

Small storage boxes, drawer organisers and clearly defined spaces for different items can make an enormous difference.

You may be surprised by how good it feels to open a drawer and see that everything has its place. Outer order can bring greater clarity and calm to both the mind and emotions.

Set aside a few minutes once a week to restore order. Anything you no longer use can be released.

The same principle also applies at home.

Mindfulness for the Achiever

Achievers are focused, determined and driven by a strong sense of purpose and fairness. Their inner fire helps them accomplish a great deal—but it can also lead to frustration and anger when they experience criticism or injustice.

Imagine that you are responsible for purchasing fabrics for a clothing company. The head of production claims that the latest delivery is of lower quality than the previous one.

You are certain that the quality is exactly the same as it was last season. You cannot understand the criticism and consider it unjustified. Your inner fire begins to rise.

You may be able to accept justified criticism—but perceived unfairness is much more difficult.

How can you remain composed and return quickly to your inner balance?

First, breathe deeply into your abdomen several times. Allow your exhalation to become calm and slightly longer.

Then remind yourself:

My colleague has an interesting point of view.

These words can be remarkably effective.

By viewing the other person’s statement as a perspective rather than an attack, you loosen the rigid position on both sides—your own as well as that of the other person.

This creates mental distance from the immediate emotional intensity. You become more open, less defensive and better able to assess the situation clearly.

You do not have to agree. You are simply creating enough inner space to respond consciously instead of reacting automatically.

Mindfulness for the Sustainer

Sustainers are grounded, reliable and attentive observers of the world around them.

I would like to encourage you not only to observe your surroundings, but also to bring the same quality of attention to yourself.

Observing the Body in Motion

Practise this during a walk or while Nordic walking.

Observe yourself as you move:

• Notice your right arm moving forwards.
• Feel the walking pole touch the ground.
• Observe your left leg moving forwards and your foot making contact with the earth.
• Then notice your left arm and right leg moving forwards.

It sounds simple—but it is surprisingly challenging.

As soon as we attempt to observe the body consciously, we often lose our awareness of the movement itself. Our attention quickly returns to thoughts, plans or memories.

With regular practice, however, you can develop a much finer awareness of your physical movements—not only during exercise, but throughout everyday life.

You may eventually notice yourself lifting a cup towards your mouth and observe every stage of the movement with remarkable clarity. For a moment, it can feel as though you are watching the movement from the outside.

Practices like this strengthen both inner and outer observation. They can also make it easier to use the Double-Arrow Effect during meetings and in your interactions with colleagues and business partners.