ATOL Articles

Staying Mindful During Audits

Written by Jackie Stapleton | 19 November 2020 12:42:02 AM

What does meditation have to do with auditing? You might be pleasantly surprised.

What does Meditation have to do with Auditing?

I recently completed a 4-week Meditation workshop🧘🏼‍♂️. I did it for me personally. It had nothing to do with work and I really didn't think it HAD anything to do with my business or the work that I do. It was just my own personal experience. I was wrong!

As I lay on the floor on the last day of my course (trying not to take a nap), listening to the guidance offered by our meditation teacher I had some epiphanies! These were all things going through my mind that I was drawn to gently push away so that I could empty my mind. Whoops!

I have soon found out that during meditation is the time I come up with my best ideas! This is because my conscious mind is quietened, and my sub-conscious creative mind is allowed out to 'play'. 

Our mindset, our mindfulness transfers to how we 'cope' with our day and how we deal with our emotions and others - whether it be at home or at work. 

Particularly working as an auditor or a consultant, there are constant challenges whether it be within your own mind or dealing with others and their own mindset. What a powerful tool to bring with you 'on the job'!

If we are calm and mindful, then this projects onto anyone that we are dealing with. They pick up on our energy and are drawn into the same energy.

I remember a particular audit client I had for many years. Whether it was her personality or just anxiety during an audit, she was particularly 'on edge' - talking really fast and frantic.

I realized at one point that I was being drawn into this as well. My actions, my speech, and my questions were also fast and frantic - she had pulled me into her energy space and I was acting in the same way!

I had to consciously pull myself back out of it, take a breath and shift the energy to one of calmness again, so that this would project on to her and she could calm down.

This is a powerful skill to have so that we are managing the overall experience with our clients.

Something else that I learnt during my meditation class is that the process and the steps that we follow are all ours to follow and learn from.

We can be given the tools and the learnings from others but it's our own path that we follow, find what works, and learn from. The importance of this is that we are comfortable with this process - our process. You can take this into your own journey of learning and building your career - it is your own journey after all!

Every step that you take builds on your own experience and what you can offer your own clients. Learn to accept the process and recognize all of the building blocks along the way.

I talk to so many people that are judgmental of their own experience and struggle to see how what they have done can build into the career they are heading towards.

My first job was in a sawmill and it wasn't in the office! I was the first female to work at the end of a saw bench stacking timber, quality control, packing, and cleaning! 

Whoever said I would never do anything with my life?

What a great experience that was and I had so many other dead-end jobs (apparently)

I urge you and I support you to keep an open mind about all of your experiences and pass on a calm and mindful experience to your clients.

It can only result in a positive outcome for everyone.

Thanks so much to @YogaandMeditationLounge for this great experience.