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One of the most important books Ive read is called Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. Ill give you a short summary of the book, from the book: In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the experts there are few. The entire goal of Zen according to Suzuki is to remain a perpetual beginner. Zen is all about living (actions) and less about life (ideas/interpretations about living). So, why should someone strive for the perspective of the beginner? Beginners are eager, inexperienced, patient, curious, creative, and open-minded. They arent yet stuck in habitual patterns; they are free in ways that the experienced person is not. When you started your business, you were a beginner too.

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Entre means to enter, begin,start. Pre means before. Neur is related to nerves, as in neurological. Essentially, the word entrepreneur means to enter something before you allow your mind to make you nervous; to dive in with both feet before you second guess yourself. To be an entrepreneur is to be living in a state of Zen. The word entre-pre-neur broken down in this way is, in essence, the goal of Zen. Whatever state of mind you were in when you had the audacity to think your idea was good enough to succeed was a state of Zen. To live in a state of Zen is to deny the mind its interpretations of reality and simply live reality, from moment to moment. It sounds simple, but it isnt easy. Over time, the same Zen state of mind which was the creative impetus to start the business has been altered by a whole mess of problems related to being a business owner. The honeymoon period is over, and the excitement slowly fades. It has officially become work.

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

from "Little Gidding" by T.S. Eliot

Beginners take nothing for granted, while experienced people tend to overlook everything which has become ordinary. I bet there is a stapler or something at your desk which has been there for years and you dont even notice it. Every day you look at it, but you dont actually see it. The word discriminate means to notice differences. The human mind is built to notice differences, so the simple fact that the stapler is always there is why you stop taking notice of it. However, if someone were to move it, suddenly youd notice. We take so much for granted simply because it becomes routine and ordinary. When we get used to doing things in a certain way, stagnation occurs. Stagnation is the enemy of creative thinking.

We all see life through a lens that is colored by our experiences. Significant experiences (or lack thereof) both positive and negative change the way we perceive reality. We all have a subjective experience of an objective reality, and no one is free of this. One definition of enlightenment is simply seeing things just as they are, without bringing our experiences and interpretations. One metaphor for the practice of meditation is a bathroom mirror collecting dust. Day in and day out, dust collects on the mirror. When the mirror gets too dusty it starts to distort reality. Meditation is the process of cleaning the mirror every day so that we can see everything the mirror reflects as it really is. Experiences can accumulate just like dust on the mirror. They can serve us or cause clutter in our minds, or both. If you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, or an aspiring entrepreneur, I would argue that you are already living in a state of Zen.

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A brand new mirror hasnt had time to collect dust. This is why the newest member of your team may have the most important perspective. Beginners dont know enough to be nervous about all that could go wrong. They take nothing for granted and they see things from a different perspective. Wait about two weeks for them to get acclimated and meet personally with each new person at your company. It will be well worth your time. Furthermore, they will be honored by the opportunity and will feel valued. As you are speaking with them, simply ask them what theyve noticed so far and if there are any changes theyd make to the way things are done, set up, systems, etc. Encourage them to speak freely and remind them that you are asking to make sure things havent gotten stagnant. I think youll be surprised at the perspective they bring and the information they provide.

How does one change their perspective, even momentarily? Well, the solution is probably what youve all been guessing. Get yourself a rubber band. Get yourself a rubber band and put it on the wrist of your non-dominant hand. Throughout the day, when you see the rubber band and are conscious of it, simply pause. Let the rubber band serve as a reminder of your new goals. If your goal is to gain the perspective of a beginner, simply allow your focus to shift and pretend you know nothing. Pretend it's your very first day at work, and youre still a bit wet behind the ears. The next time you walk to your desk, look at everything. Take the time to stop and look at whats around you and youll notice all the things which normally go unnoticed. This perspective shift may seem like a waste of precious time, but it will prove immensely valuable to your creativity in regard to solving problems and combating the stagnation we are all subject to.

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If your goal is a practical application of meditation, pause when you see your rubber band and take three slow, deep (diaphragmatic) breaths. Youll soon realize that there is always time for three breaths. The world wont stop spinning if we stop to take three breaths. Problems wont actually pile up in the 10 seconds it takes to consciously breathe three times. Ive taught meditation to beginners and the most common problems I hear are the following: It just doesnt work for me or I dont have enough time. The problem was almost always the same when I asked them to elaborate on their experience. They downloaded an app and hoped for the best, or they set unrealistic expectations for themselves. Imagine going in for surgery from a surgeon who was self-taught, using an app. Youd be terrified! If a personal trainer wanted to start you out by running half marathons, youd never go back. Yet, we attempt to sit and meditate for 10 or 20 minutes, in an uninterrupted way, on the first try. We expect something to happen or to clear our minds. Thats just not how meditation works. It takes years to sit and meditate in a relatively uninterrupted manner. In this case, the expectations dictate reality, and the results are rather undesirable. I was taught using this rubber band method and not only was it successful but I have since used it to change other habits. I was wearing a rubber band on my wrist for over a year before I actually started to sit down and meditate. I was meditating all along, but doing it throughout the day in a more manageable way. Several years later I was teaching people how to meditate. So, whether youve never tried to meditate or if youve tried and failed, try again. This time you will go into the practice equipped with the practical tips and more realistic expectations Ive outlined in this article. And remember: Meditation is not about achieving anything. There are no goals. The experience itself is the goal. If youre doing it right, the more you learn, the more youll feel like a beginner. Oh, and Id highly recommend you wear the rubber band in the shower or you might forget to put it back on.

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Zen and the Art of Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneur