Add a little mindfulness to your daily routine with this notebook that's going crazy on Kickstarter
You take that yoga class twice a week and do your daily meditation practice (when you see the push notification from the app) but mindfulness is really about staying present in every moment, even when you're slammed at work or rushing to pick your kids up at school.
Mindful.org is a great resource for busy people who are interested in learning more about mindfulness meditation. It's really as simple as paying attention to the present moment, which can be difficult for executives and entrepreneurs who are used to thinking three steps ahead at all times.
The Mindful Notebook, currently being funded on Kickstarter, was created by three such busy people who wanted a tool to center themselves throughout the day when things get hectic. They created the company Corso, and partnered with Mindful.org to create the notebook that is designed to promote mindfulness while you're working.
There are three sections of the Mindful Notebook. At the top of each page is a daily inspirational quote. Don't worry—these aren't schmaltzy Instagram quotes or multi-level marketing platitudes. I flipped through and read a bunch of them and only one or two made me roll my eyes.
The bottom of each page has space for a daily gratitude practice. Taking a few minutes to jot down what you're grateful for every day is a simple way to change your mindset. Many meditation teachers suggest keeping a gratitude journal. It can be easy to forget everything you have to be happy about in the present moment when you're always looking forward towards your next professional goal.
Of course, a notebook would be useless without an actual place to take notes, so the majority of the page is just traditional lined paper. You can use it as a to-do list, a creative brainstorming space, a bullet journal—really, you don't need me to tell you how to use a notebook. The Mindful Notebook is designed to be used in your daily life so that your mindfulness practice is integrated into your routine.
If you want your mindfulness to feel like the luxury that it is, you can order a premium ostrich leather cover for your Mindful Notebook with a clasp and pockets for business cards, stickers, postcards, etc. It does add significant bulk to the notebook, but it looks super high-end.
The Kickstarter campaign wraps up on November 10 but it's already tripled its fundraising goal. Pledging $28 will get you a Mindful notebook guaranteed to be delivered before the holidays. You have to pledge $200 or more to get the ostrich leather cover—I wasn't kidding about it being a luxury item.
Corporate backers can pledge $400 or more to get 20 notebooks. It would make a great staff holiday gift (and prove that you care about your employees' mental wellbeing.)
According to twitter, Emily Heller is a fake geek girl and a SJW. If you ask her friends, she laughs too loud and cries at cute animal videos. Prior to Mashable, Emily wrote for CollegeHumor and Reductress and most recently worked at a very bro-y tech startup. She lives in Brooklyn with three dudes, a cat who acts like a dog and a dog who acts like a houseplant.
