Wherever you go, there's your KPI

Finding the still water that fuels bold work and a balanced life.

There's a reason a photo of a glass-still lake framed by snow-capped peaks makes us sigh. The mind softens, shoulders drop, and—for a moment—we remember what spaciousness feels like.

But here's the truth: that feeling isn't in the mountains. It's in you. And it's accessible any time you need it. The catch? Access requires practice. In an age where adult attention spans have dropped to just 8.25 seconds—shorter than a goldfish's, according to a Microsoft study—our minds are more scattered than ever. Meditation isn't a luxury anymore. It's survival.

We tend to think peace is something we earn after we've crossed the finish line. After the promotion, the product launch, the next vacation. But how often do we arrive at that long-awaited break only to find ourselves too wired to enjoy it?

Peace is not meant to be a twice a year phenomenon and mindfulness should not be about checking out. It's actually about checking in—with clarity and compassion. Just a few conscious breaths are enough to shift the nervous system from fight-or-flight into rest-and-restore. Harvard research shows this kind of presence reduces stress-reactivity in the brain and strengthens the prefrontal cortex—the center for decision-making, creativity, and emotional regulation.

As Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said, "Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor."

This anchor matters more than ever in the workplace.

But won't this make me or my soft?

The opposite is proven to be true, don't believe me? Observe the most stressed out, negative, or aggressive person in your next meeting, and see what results they achieve. Are they inspiring other? Does the team feel solid? Or is there turnover and pockets of dissent? Are folks fighting as if they are working for the competitor and not on the same team? We often cling to Gantt charts, project trackers, and performance metrics to optimize results—but the most overlooked lever in any business is human energy. Calm minds build clean systems. Centered teams take smarter risks and recover faster. A Yale University study found that mindful leaders are rated as more emotionally intelligent, trustworthy, and inspiring. These qualities aren't soft—they're scalable.

In the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Wherever you go, there you are."
When we bring chaos into the workplace, we design from disorder. But when we build from calm, strategy has room to click into place.

Stillness isn't passivity. It's power. A centered mind spots redundancies faster, slices meeting time in half, and delivers feedback with clarity and kindness. Protecting your inner lake isn't a spiritual bonus—it's a tactical advantage.

So when and where do I start?

How about now and right where you are. Try this...Pause. Sit tall. Close your eyes and rate your stress on a scale of 1-5. Then begin. Inhale for four. Exhale for six. Notice the moment between breaths. Start with six rounds, then stop. Notice how you feel. That's it. You've begun. 

The key is to begin noticing the difference and noticuing the power you have to return to peace through breath. By doing this you begin to prove to yourself that emotion comes and goes. And what helps it pass is breath, you literally move it along down the "river". 

Pema Chödrön puts it beautifully: "You are the sky. Everything else—it's just the weather."

Vacations are great. But pinning your peace to a future getaway keeps you running on empty. Make space now. Between meetings. Before the next email. While brushing your teeth.

My challenge for you

Close this tab, set a timer for 120 seconds, and meet your inner lake. Then build your next strategy from that still point. I'd love to hear what changes.

Because when we lead from peace, we don't just move projects forward—we move people forward.