The most essential resolution for climate leaders

If you could only start or maintain one New Year’s resolution this year, may I recommend Mindfulness Meditation??

A quick guide to what, why, & how to get started:

For leaders and advocates in the energy transition, this upcoming year promises to test our resolve personally and professionally.?

The forces of society and nature are pulling us in every direction. Its tough to maintain headspace throughout the chaotic and often surreal political, economic, social, and environmental climate, all while juggling our desires to advance solutions in the workplace and being more to everyone at home. Emerging from this post-pandemic fog, we have re-arranged our priorities and set clear goals on where we want to go, yet we are still challenged to arrive at our destinations.?

We know the importance of mindset and collaboration in navigating success within the energy transition, but have you ever considered that perhaps the key to solving all future challenges starts with finding a few moments of individual pause each day?

Mindfulness meditation is a crucial tool for leaders, as it offers a range of benefits that enhance leadership qualities, build resilience, and improve team collaboration.? By practicing non- judgmental observation, mindfulness calms the busy mind to unlock new connections, fortify existing relationships, and sharpen decision making skills.? In an environment where effective communication, strategic prioritization, and inspiring action are critical, mindfulness aids in us navigating various approaches so that we may collaborate effectively with diverse perspectives and motivate in the collective race to implement solutions, particularly when this race is long and arduous.? This is particularly important in an industry marked by demanding hours and rapidly evolving challenges. Resilience becomes key to enduring and thriving.??

My mindfulness journey started a few years into my early Tesla career after I found myself with debilitating pain throughout my back and arms. Thinking a doctor would suggest physical therapy or worse, pills, I was quite surprisedwhen a doctor prescribed a book, “Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection” by Dr. John Sarno.? The title of the book was enough to propel me on a new path forward. I knew my EV career could derail without quick action to improve my mental and physical health, so I made a commitment to attend mindfulness classes at a nearby yoga studio, where I was immediately drawn to the neurological benefits.

If you’re looking to get started in mindfulness meditation or deepen your practice, there are an abundance of resources to explore.? Here are some of my favorite methods that have enriched my journey that I hope may help you:

• Mindfulness for Beginners:? Did you know there is a variety of mindfulness practices available?? If you’ve tried one and it didn’t quite resonate, don’t be discouraged.? Meditation coach, Benjamin Decker authored an excellent introductory book to help you explore different methods to find what style suits you best.? Comment below if you’re interested in obtaining a copy, and I’ll gift one to the first 3 interested.?
• Join a Class: A class is a great way to get started and learn lots of context on the science, history, and application. Not only will an in-person class help keep you accountable, but the coach will also help guide you on how to sit or lay comfortably and guide your wondering mind to maximize the benefits.
• Try a Mindfulness Meditation App:? Most programs have a free introduction or level you can trial before committing.? While there are many options, here are a few I’m most familiar with:
• Headspace: Great for busy beginners. Easy guided intros that help you slowly increase and level up your time. Friends rave about it.
• Insight Timer: This is my preferred app because it offers an abundance of instructors from around the world, live classes, development programs, a timer with various background tracks, and it’s free (with options for instructor donations and enhanced paid subscriptions).
• Unplug: This subscription service, designed by one of the premier meditation studios in Los Angeles and features highly curated and produced content by incredible teachers. It’s great for someone looking for more variety than Headspace, but may find the exponential options within Insight Timer a bit daunting.?
• Work with a Coach: While therapy focuses on the past, life-coaching focuses on the future, and mindfulness coaching focuses on the present.? Consider working with an online mindfulness coach like, Kate Greenslade, who not only helped me discover the perspective shift of a lifetime, but also prepared me with new tools to home in on my intuition and with new techniques to find my flow.?
• Attend a Conference: For the time-constrained business-minded academic, check out Wisdom 2.0.? This conference focuses on the intersection of consciousness, business, and the ethical implications of modern technology.? This is a great way to connect with like- minded individuals and gain new tools and perspectives for compassion in business and in the workplace.?

While mindfulness has been a game-changer for me personally, it's transformative power is even more pronounced in a team setting.? After introducing a mindfulness coach to the Tesla team, the results were nothing short of remarkable.? The training, focusing on core mindfulness principles, led to a measurable boost in teamwork efficiency and notable improvement in mental health.? These changes directly enhanced our speed of solutions and the quality of the customer experience, showcasing the tangible benefits of this practice.

The significance of mindfulness isn’t lost on the world’s leading companies.? Giants like Google, Apple, and Salesforce don’t just offer mindfulness meditation as a perk.? Rather, it’s a core component of their employee engagement strategy.? These companies have also taken the first steps towards their climate ambitions, perhaps suggesting a link for how mindfulness can motivate decisions that are both ethically responsible and drive business success.? Imagine if?more organizations, especially those driving policy and climate solutions, embraced this approach.? Could mindfulness be the key to unlocking greater advancements and fostering a more open and innovative mindset in critical areas??

As we navigate on the complexities and challenges of this new year, especially in the realm of the energy transition and climate leadership, the incorporation of mindfulness meditation in our daily lives emerges not just as a personal growth tool, but also as a transformative approach for organizational and societal change.?? Like any small action, the widespread ripples of impact from individual practice can propel us further faster together.

Let’s not underestimate the power of a mindful moment each day. It might just be the catalyst for the groundbreaking progress we seek in our careers, organizations, and the wider world.?