What are we talking about? Stay with us, let’s have a think about some important lessons we can learn from children. They might surprise you!

1. Be in the moment

Kids are amazing at living in the present. They are completely absorbed by what they’re doing. This means they can notice the smallest details and become fascinated by them.

As adults, we tend to live in the past or future – worrying about things to have happened or might come next. It means we never switch off, and always feel on the go. Without downtime, it’s hard to perform at your best.

Make sure you spend time each day “being in the moment” – smell some flowers, look at the clouds…be amazed by something. Your mind will thank you for it.

2. Get adequate rest

Are you always tired? Do you think this could be impacting your decisions? Hmmm…we know so. Children go to bed early and have a long sleep each night (and a daytime nap when needed). They wake refreshed and ready for the day (any parent of early risers knows this).

Take a leaf out of their book and go to bed early (ok, or try to go to bed earlier). “Tomorrow you” will thank you for it.

3. Before making rash decisions, take a deep breath

When it comes to young children, a deep breath often saves a tantrum from occuring (note we said often, not always). No one likes tantrums – not the person having them, nor those around them. They’re exhausting and time consuming.

Remember the power of your breath – take time to breath during each day. We mean really breathe – count to three on the in and out breathes, focus on it, take your time. During the day if you feel yourself getting frustrated – stop for a moment and breathe. What happens after that will amaze you. It’s called feeling calm. Great decisions come from calm people.

4. Be creative

Kids love creating, be it drawing, colouring or sticking random objects together. Being creative helps your brain to go into a different mode, and yet again you’ll find yourself in the moment. Creativity breaks during the day will help you switch into “work” mode faster.

5. When you fall down, have a little cry then get back up

This comes back to the whole “living in the moment” thing. When kids hurt themselves, they rarely hold it in. Instead they have a cry, think about what happened and then get on with it.

This can be a useful approach for adults – if something bothers or hurts you, take a moment to think about it. Why did this happen, what caused it – can you learn from it? Then dust yourself off and carry on.

These might seem like insignificant things, but try a few today and see how you feel. It will surprise you how little changes to your outlook have a postive impact not only your personal life, but on your business life too.

How will you be more like a child today?