First 10 minutes determine tenor and trend of the outcome of what you do!

Sometimes if you wake up in the morning, feel calm and confident about yourself for first 10 minutes, then you can be rest assured that your day would be peaceful and productive! However, if you feel instead angry or anxious, you are likely to face a disappointing day!!

Likewise, 10 minutes after you reach your office or you start a meeting with your supervisor or sub-ordinates is the time, which would matter most to you. The way you think and function during this period would set the tone of the result of your activity.

One of my relatives is not a morning person and is, therefore, generally on the edge once she wakes up. This is true of many non-morning persons. If she is not allowed to settle down by her own after getting up for a period ranging from 10 to 20 minutes, she would unsettle you for rest of the day, apart from she getting upset!

During my tenure with a German multi-national company from 1978 to 1997, at one stage I got a new boss, who was very toxic. He was known for not giving-in to grievances of any employee, even when same were genuine. My peers were highly terrorized with him. Then, I decided to deal with him differently. Whenever I had a meeting with him, I would drop my notion that he is toxic and say to myself that there must be something good in him, since he had been promoted as head of a business unit. During the initial few minutes, I would not allow myself to get ruffled, even if he was rude and sarcastic. After about 10 minutes of conversation, I used to observe that he would tone down and then I could discuss and get his consent for what he would otherwise differ with others! I also tried intentionally to go sometimes with perception that he is really difficult and 100% of such attempts had put me into difficulty!

What happens during first 10 minutes?

1. It shows whether you are ruling over your mind or you are reeling under your mind.
   If you are ruling over your mind, then you would be self-controlled, focused, have presence of mind and sense of good judgment. If your mind is ruling you, you would be negative, emotional, groping in the past and prone to mistakes.
2. Your mind is virgin at that time in relation to what you are setting out to do. So, your tendencies or traits, which unfold now, put their firm imprints on what you would do thereafter. 
3. Your preconceived notions surface during this period.
   For example, if you are conducting a meeting, it would show do you want to impose your ideas or evolve the same through participants; do you want to listen to participants or you want them to listen to you.
4. It reflects your frame of mind – are you patient and peaceful or you are anxious and perturbed; are you contemplative or cluttered with conflicting ideas.
5. It demonstrates your energy and enthusiasm level. That determines would you be active or passive, proactive or reactive.
6. Persons with whom you are interacting consolidate their impressions about you during this period.

What can you do in first 10 minutes to drive the outcome your way!

1. Form a simple habit – after getting up in the morning, settle yourself and focus on a single thought, whatever it be. However, please note that you are bound to get a 2nd thought about awareness of time passing out. This is necessary; otherwise you can’t come out of the said single thought!
   It is very interesting to know that a single thought can never be about anything bad or wrong! If you think something bad or wrong, you are bound to get many more than a single thought!! Try and notice it. Further, more than 90% of people on this planet don’t spend even 10 minutes at a stretch per day with focus on a single thought. If that was the case, ambience of our planet would have been very different!
2. Do not imagine or visualize the outcome in advance! This is extremely important. If you keep thinking about the outcome, it would get disturbed and distorted vis-à-vis your expectations.
   However, you need to have one belief – whatever is the outcome, it would be right!
3. Drop all preconceived ideas or notions, before you start an activity.
4. Do not be doubtful or paranoid about thing/s, you want to engage with.
5. Drop biases or bitterness from past or present against people you are interacting.
6. You have a very easy yet effective tool to impact the events and eventual outcome – focus on what you have to do and just observe unfolding events; but never judge same!
7. Let problems or issues not overwhelm or overtake you. Accept what those are; do not waste time in brooding or narrating those. Instead, seek to solve those.
   Remember sincere attitude to solve automatically brings the solutions. 
8. Regardless of how important or insignificant situation you are facing, remain calm and in control of self.

Above 8 points do drive the outcome in your favor! If you cannot exercise any of these, it is better to take a break from what you are doing, reset your mind for above 8 points and restart.

So, you now have a magnificent mantra for success in every endeavor you make!