FILTER -> Duration -> Short (< 4 minutes)

Yep, give me the quickest solution possible because I’ve got things to do! Whether it’s coding something for my blog, fixing something on my car, or using a particular online service, I want the clearest and quickest way to get the job done.

However, If you came to meditation hoping for a quick fix (like I did), you may be fairly disappointed. I see it all the time on reddit;

“How long did it take you to see results”,

“I had no thoughts for 10 seconds today, am I doing it right?”,

“It’s been 2 weeks and nothing has changed, I must be bad at it”

etc.

On some level, I wish it was easier and faster to make progress in mindfulness via meditation. But unfortunately, that’s just not how it works. We’re talking about thousands of years of survival instinct and psychological habit that we are trying to understand and cooperate with. With that in mind, it’s important to go into meditation with the expectation that it takes time to see results.

To avoid throwing in the towel early, it’s a good idea mark small wins and stumbling blocks that need attention. Let’s talk a little bit about how to know if you are making progress and how to use that to move forward in your practice.

Distractions vs Clarity

When you sit with the intention of having a clear mind, you find that anything and everything will try to find a way in. But what do you do if you are so distracted that you can’t maintain any focus or clarity?

It’s important to first understand that complete and sustained clarity is not the only measure of success. You will often find that throughout a session, you will have small bits and pieces of clarity as well as moments of distracting thoughts. So don’t worry if you can’t keep your mind clear for very long yet.

Experiences in your daily life

It is nice to be able to take time to relax and clear your head, but the real benefits from meditation can be found after your session in your daily life. If you take a look back on the day and ask yourself, “were there any times where I was completely lost in thought and distracted?” or “Was I too reactive in that debate with my coworker?”. Unfortunately, we don’t get stickers or high-fives every time we are mindful and aware of ourselves. So We have to be able to reflect on our day to notice progress.

Journaling

One thing that helps me notice improvements in my sessions is writing my experience down in a journal after every session. You can write your own prompts, but the one’s I like to use can be found in the Field Guide, which you can pick up HERE. In my opinion, writing is the best way to reflect on anything, not just meditation. Any time you feel as though you have too much in your head to sort through, pull out a piece of paper or your phone and start writing. Slowing down your thoughts helps you think carefully about how you are feeling, thinking and allows you to read it back and digest your experience.

With so many meditation schools and styles out there, it can be very tempting to bounce around and try everything. But the most important thing to remember is that it takes time to see the benefits of meditation so it’s vital that you make an effort to do it daily when you can. No experiment, exercise routine, or skill training yields results without repetition and practice!