Mindfulness―Recommendations for “Kissa Kippan” Life
"Kissa Kippan (喫茶喫飯; drink tea and eat a meal) is a Zen term that means to concentrate only on the tea when you drink tea and only on eating when you eat a meal, without thinking about anything else."
At job interviews…
“What are your strengths?”
“Oh yes, I’m a multi-tasker. I can perform a variety of tasks simultaneously.”
I never doubted that this answer was always correct and was an appealing way to show I could be an effective employee.
However, when I discovered the term Kissa Kippan, I began to wonder if this lifestyle might be a better fit for me. As a result, I've been experimenting with the Kissa Kippan way of life.
When I eat, work, or cook, I concentrate on the task at hand—not doing two things or more simultaneously. Always finish one job before moving on to the next. For example, I don't read a book while listening to music or do the ironing while watching TV. I simply concentrate on the task.
After a month of this lifestyle, I’ve made some discoveries.
1. I can get a deeper understanding of the information
Because I’m concentrating, I can grasp information more deeply and quickly. As a result, I‘ve become curious and more interested in it. This applies the same to people; I listen more attentively to what they are saying, which increases my interest in them and helps me develop deeper relationships.
2. The quality of what I focus on is higher
In my duties, I focus attentively on each step of the process, and as a result, the overall quality of my work improves.
This attention to detail is evident in cooking. When I concentrate on cooking, even when using the same recipe, the taste of the dish turns out better.
When there are some issues at work, I can handle them calmly and carefully because I take the time to focus on one matter, and as a result, the problem can always be resolved faster than I expected.
3. Less sighs
When I’m focused on what I’m doing right now, my negative feelings from the past are never dragged up. As a result, I sigh less. That being said, of course, there are times when I sigh. But even when that happens, I can look at myself objectively and say, "Oh, I was thinking about something else for a moment, let's focus on what I’m doing now.”
In a nutshell, I have found that Kissa Kippan life is more comfortable for me. I get emotionally disturbed and tired if I’m a multi-tasker.
Why didn't I notice these things before?
Being a single-tasker seems to be more efficient in my everyday life. I feel this is the way of saving my energy and being efficient.
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