Every minute matters when you're a manager and are responsible for coordinating with employees, whilst overcoming issues such as limited resources and time. Having said that, between conference calls, employee issues, and day to day tasks, remaining mindful becomes almost impossible.

When we hear the word mindful, most of us often confuse it with meditation. But in reality, regular mindfulness practice improves our ability to stay in the moment and focus on what's important.

Here are some of the ways that can help you to remain mindful and at the same time motivate you to achieve your goals without losing your calm:

1. Evaluate your schedule.

Being on a managerial level means having 10 tasks on your plate at a time. And when you juggle between various tasks, you often lose your focus and your productivity decreases. Hence, as a manager, it is essential that you minimize your to‐do list and distractions. Doing this will ensure that you have more time to focus on important tasks.

Actionable Tips:
- Say ‘No’ when you can. If you're being asked to participate or assist in something that doesn't require your expertise, you don't have to agree.
- Learn to prioritize instead of multitasking. Focus on one task at a time and try to complete that. When you finish the most important thing for the day, you feel confident and it allows you to maintain your focus

2. Be present with the team

Being physically present is not enough. You can't lead until and unless you're both physically as well as mentally present. Take some time out of your schedule to connect with your team. You don't have to be their best friend but ask for their feedback or suggestions on your new project or new company policy. Besides this, do remember to appreciate your team when they do something good.

Actionable Tips:
When having a conversation with your team, remember:
- Listen with the intent to understand, not with the intent to respond.
- Try to end all your conversations on a positive note always.

3. Communicate with compassion

We all know how impactful words can be. Hence, it is vital that you always communicate in a mindful and compassionate manner. Be aware of your emotions before responding. Always take time to consider whether the conversation you're going to have is required and beneficial. Doing this can ensure that there is a greater likelihood of a positive outcome from the communication.

Actionable Tips:
- Be aware of your emotions before responding to an email or communicating in-person.
- When a team member is not able to perform, host a one-on-one conversation with an employee to understand his situation better instead of giving them an ultimatum.

4. Delegate to accelerate

Many a time it sounds tempting to do a job yourself because it's quicker than explaining it to someone else. However, it is essential that you delegate some of your work to your team members. By delegating, you make your employees more accountable for their tasks. This makes them realize what they are capable of and additionally boosts their confidence.

Actionable Tips:
- Delegating tasks gives you time to work on your skills and capacities.
- When you delegate, you can hugely expand the amount of work that you can deliver.

5. Accept what you can't change

Acceptance lies at the heart of mindfulness. Being mindful means to accept the situation as it is. It means acknowledging the truth of how things are at this time before trying to change anything. For instance, if your client asks you to work on a project and you spend hours working on it. The client loves your ideas but denies to go ahead with it due to lack of budget. In this situation, you can either cry over the situation or accept the situation.

Actionable Tips:
- When you accept things, you will be able to think more rationally.
- Accepting a situation allows you to move on and once you do that you are going to want to set certain goals for yourself and your team.

Lastly, mindfulness will not magically help you become the best leader. Rather, it will allow you to become more aware so that you control situations, instead of allowing situations to control you.