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January 27, 2025 12 mins

Learn from Akar in the Mindful in 5 book 

Eighty-eight percent of people abandon their New Year's resolutions just two weeks in. 

But what if you could break free from that statistic and truly transform your aspirations? Join the Mindful Ninjas as we unravel the secrets to mindful goal setting. Through the SMART+ technique, you'll learn to set goals that are not just specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, but also connected to your deepest desires. This approach will help you craft a joyful roadmap that keeps you motivated and centered even amidst your busiest days.

This episode invites you to explore a practical example from my book, Mindful in 5, where the character discovers the power of a morning meditation routine. Learn how calming your mind with simple strategies can elevate both your personal and professional life. We'll guide you in harnessing the power of mindfulness to stay true to your path, ensuring that your career ambitions are aligned with a peaceful, resilient mindset. It's time to embrace a beginner's mind, and turn your goals into realities with optimism and clarity. Tune in and empower your life with purpose and intention, one mindful step at a time.


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Episode Transcript

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Spiwe Jefferson (00:04):
Welcome to Mindful in 5, where busy
professionals find your peacefuloasis to thrive in complex work
environments.
I am Spiwe Jefferson attorney,certified mindfulness
practitioner and author of theMindful in 5 book series.

(00:24):
Here to guide you to a clearer,softer and more supported life.
Join me and your fellow MindfulNinjas as we explore
science-backed mindfulnessstrategies for successful
leaders that you can implement,starting with just five minutes

(00:46):
a day.
Elevate your work, empower yourlife, work higher, live
stronger.
Let's go.
Do you find your professionalaspirations clouded by vague
intentions?
Clouded by vague intentions?
Yearning for a clearer path tosuccess?

(01:06):
Did you start off your yearonly to find your great
resolutions derailed already?
According to research by theBaylor College of Medicine, 88%

(01:26):
of resolution makers abandontheir goals within the first two
weeks of January.
This rapid decline incommitment is even more dramatic
than the commonly citedQuitter's Day.
Have you ever heard ofQuitter's Day?
Quitter's Day have you everheard of Quitter's Day?
It's generally the secondFriday in January, which sees

(01:55):
23% of people give up on theirresolutions by that point.
Today we are beating failedresolutions with mindful goal
setting.
Resurrect your good intentionswith a peaceful approach to
getting back on track that iskind to yourself and will
provide clarity and increase thelikelihood of your consistency,

(02:15):
I like to say mindfulness isbeing present in the moment,
without judgment and withoutbeing overwhelmed by what's
happening around you.
I say that now because it'seasy to beat yourself up for
your abandoned resolutions.
Well, the good news is you arenot alone.

(02:37):
In fact, by now, you could besitting with a good 88% of New
Year's resolutioners who gave upalready.
Ineffective resolution settingcan dim the cheerful light of
your career ambitions, leavingyou feeling unsupported and
disconnected from what couldotherwise be a joyful journey of

(03:01):
professional growth.
If this is you, I encourage youto consider mindful goal
setting as a way to bring aclearer, more peaceful approach
to your career planning orwhatever you set your mind to.
And, like the kids in thisseason's imagery, I invite you

(03:24):
to come at it with a beginner'smind Curious, trusting,
authentic, creative, resilientand optimistic.
Now imagine having a joyfulroadmap for your growth, with
achievable milestones that keepyou peacefully motivated.

(03:45):
By mastering strategic goalsetting, you can transform your
aspirations into a clear,supportive reality.
So let's explore this mindfulgoal setting technique that I
call SMART plus goal setting.
Here's how it works.
The S is for specific.

(04:08):
This is just like those of youwho know how to set smart goals
right.
The S is for specific Defineyour goal with joyful clarity,
not dread.
Not here I go again.
Not, this didn't work before,but clarity and optimism.
Like I can do this, I'vetotally got this.

(04:29):
And then you want to make itmeasurable.
Establish cheerful, concretecriteria for progress.
Step three make it achievable.
Ensure that the goal feelspeacefully attainable, not
stressful or strenuous.

(04:49):
Step four make it relevant.
Align the goal with yourbroader positive vision.
Step five make it time bound.
Set a clear, supportivedeadline.
And number six this is the plus, plus emotional Connect the

(05:11):
goal to a deeper, peacefulpurpose that you care about.
Now let's look at a practicalexample of how a busy
professional might apply thismindful, smart plus framework.
In my book Mindful in 5,meditations for People with no

(05:34):
Time, and its companion, the GodLover's Edition, we meet a car
whose attempts to learn how tocenter himself go in fits and
starts in the same way that manyof us learn.
If he were using this smartplus method, it would look like
this he would set his goal,which would be to create a

(05:58):
morning meditation routine tocenter himself and cultivate
mental clarity and start eachworkday with intention.
That was actually his goal inthe book.
So this goal would be specific.
I will meditate in the samespot in my home each morning
before checking emails orstarting work, by sitting in

(06:21):
stillness for at least fiveminutes to reflect on the day
ahead and how I choose to showup in it.
And how I choose to show up init, god lovers, I like to say
prayer.
Is you talking to God?
And meditation, is you creatingspace for God to talk to you?
So, in Akar's case, he mightmentally lay out his day for God

(06:45):
and invite God to share withhim whatever insights or
direction he chooses, whateverinsights or direction he chooses
.
Step two in making that goalmeasurable the heart of the
mindful in five approach is theidea that you can change your
day and your life by centeringyourself, starting with just

(07:06):
five minutes a day.
So a car's goal would be to sitand center himself for at least
five minutes, at least four,ideally all five weekday
mornings per week.
He can also note his insights,mood and energy levels by
journaling afterwards.

(07:26):
And then, in step three, makingit achievable, he would start
with five minutes and let's sayhe does start with four days a
week.
He decides this is doablewithin his current schedule,
especially since he can wake upjust five minutes earlier,

(07:55):
earlier.
This practice is even better ifhe does it in a spot that he
uses only for that purpose, sothat every time he goes and sits
in that one spot, his mind andbody automatically go into that
peaceful state as the habitbuilds.
It doesn't have to be a wholeroom, it can be a corner of a
room or a small closet or anyspot where he can feel that

(08:16):
peaceful energy.
And then number four relevance.
This practice aligns with acar's goal of being a more
present and balanced leader atwork who is less triggered by
his awful boss In the book.
This was why he wanted to learnhow to meditate in the first

(08:39):
place.
This practice will also helphim make clearer decisions and
model healthy habits for histeam.
And then step five time bound.
Akar made the commitment toestablish this as a consistent
routine within the next 30 days,starting this Monday.

(09:01):
And then number six emotional.
This practice connects toAkar's deeper desire to lead
from a place of wisdom and calmpresence rather than reactivity.
It will help him show up as thekind of mindful professional he

(09:21):
aspires to be, benefiting bothhis well-being and his positive
impact on others.
If you establish and stick to agoal you set using this
framework, you are significantlymore likely to achieve it,
fostering a more joyful andclear professional journey.

(09:44):
Here is a hopefullythought-provoking perspective,
because I like to infuse atleast something for you to think
about in each episode that getsyou kind of thinking.
Your goals are not justendpoints.
They are peaceful compassesthat are guiding your daily

(10:08):
decisions, hopefully with joyfulintention, your daily decisions
, hopefully with joyfulintention.
It's more about the journeythan the goal itself, which will
be met if you just stick to thejourney.
So here is your cheerfulchallenge of the week Set one

(10:29):
professional, smart plus goal.
Break it down into one smallactivity that you can do each
day that you plan to work on,and just focus on that one thing
for that one day.
The rest of the year will takecare of itself.
If you are ready to make thisyour most peaceful and

(10:54):
successful year yet, pick upyour copy of either the Mindful
in 5 book and journal or the GodLovers edition and journal from
spewayjeffersoncom and let Akarand his centering coach,
chantel walk you step-by-stepthrough the process of getting
started.
Click the link in the shownotes to pick up your copy and

(11:18):
start setting yourself up forclearer, more joyful success in
this new year.
Remember, effective goalsetting is a skill that improves
with peaceful practice.
Regularly review and adjustyour goals as you grow,

(11:42):
maintaining a cheerful andsupportive approach to your
professional development.
May your year ahead be filledwith clear purpose and focused
achievement.

James@DiscovertheVoice (12:16):
ournal from spiwejefferson.
com, or unsigned copies fromAmazon, barnes, noble or
wherever you get your books.
Visit to download samplechapters of the book, watch
videos and become a mindfulninja.
Join us on the LinkedIn Mindfulin 5 group and share your
thoughts.
Until next time, be mindful andbe well.
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