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Mindfulness is a term that seems to be everywhere these days. It is used to the point where it can seem meaningless. At its most basic, mindfulness means being focused on what’s actually happening in the present, without spinning a narrative about what it means, or comparing it to what other people are doing or thinking. It also means not continually regretting or reliving the past or worrying about things that might possibly happen in the future.

Truly mindful individuals always know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. This may seem simple, but if you really think about it, a lot of the things we do on a day-to-day basis are essentially mindless. We do them out of habit, because someone told us to, or just because they are part of a routine. If you are looking at your day mindfully, you are carefully considering the purpose and desired outcome of all your actions and making sure you’re doing them for the right reasons rather than chasing false hopes and expectations.

Approaching your life this way will profoundly change your perspective in very fundamental ways. Let’s take a simple example—driving. People have a tendency to get angry and aggressive when they drive, for no good reason. And it only hurts them. Let’s say the light you’re waiting at turns green and the car in front of you is slow to start moving. You get furious and curse at the other driver, maybe even blow your horn. Where does the anger come from, and what purpose does it serve? Mindful individuals realize that their anger does not help them in any way. They’re not going to get where they’re going any faster, and the aggravation just raises their blood pressure and makes their day worse.

As you can see, mindfulness encourages you to examine your thoughts and emotions to truly understand where they’re coming from. Doing so allows you to see much more clearly why you’re doing what you’re doing, and whether it fits into your goals or even whether it makes sense at all.

With this in mind, let’s examine how mindfulness informs the internet’s list of “essential entrepreneurial traits.”