Blogs on employee engagement | Engage Employee

The Missing Link in Modern Lifestyle Books? Spotlight on ‘The Mindful Communicator’

Written by Guest Blog | Jan 29, 2025 10:12:41 AM

Nick Brice, CEO,  Soul Corporations

We live in a pretty crowded market of popularised modern lifestyle enhancement books. We're being bombarded daily with books and articles promising 'new' productivity hacks, work-life balance frameworks, and personal success formulas.

Many of these books are undeniably well-researched and practical, offering helpful tips to organise tasks, set goals, and even biohack our way to peak performance (biohack: use science-based techniques and lifestyle adjustments to optimise physical and mental capabilities...to get more done).

Improve your physical and mental health, yes. Great idea. But what about emotional and soul health? Where do these fit in?

What is soul? It’s the sense of meaning, connection, and alignment that makes our actions feel intrinsically rewarding. The researchers behind The Mindful Communicator describe this concept as "the deepest of the deep," quoting a Global Culture Officer of a Great Place to Work award winner. Could it be this depth that separates new, often temporary 'tips' from the sustainable, meaningful transformations we're looking for?

This absence is more than a philosophical oversight; it’s an omission that just might make many of these approaches less effective and sustainable over time, especially as potential tools to help human resource development leaders create great places to work (and more productive of course). Places where people want to stay and give of their best in helping deliver the organisation's goals. 

We wanted to explore whether The Mindful Communicator book and its CPD accredited development programme provides a better option for those seeking meaningful, lasting change personally, professionally and organisationally.

The Limits of Modern Productivity Frameworks

Books like Atomic Habits by James Clear, The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma, Getting Things Done by David Allen, Feel Better in 5 by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, and Make Change That Lasts by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee have taken the personal development world by storm. Their methodologies are grounded in behavioral science, neuroscience, and time-tested strategies. They certainly promise some tangible benefits, including:

  • Atomic Habits helps you reprogramme your habits by understanding cue-reward cycles.
  • The 5 AM Club helps you to take control of your mornings.
  • Getting Things Done organises your tasks into manageable systems.
  • Feel Better in 5 introduces small, consistent changes to improve well-being.
  • Make Change That Lasts provides strategies for overcoming barriers to meaningful change.

But while these strategies may help with the mechanics of life, might they fall short in helping us address our deeper “why” - the soul-level purpose that makes it all worth doing at all?

Without connecting to our intrinsic values and purpose, we could end up with another set of chores on top of what we already need to do. Could they even ultimately and paradoxically contribute to burnout or disengagement in the longer term?

Living with Soul: Why It Matters

When we talk about human soul (think Respect by Aretha Franklin, think "he/she put their heart and soul into giving customers a great experience.."), we’re not necessarily diving into religion or spirituality in the traditional sense. What we're talking about is the idea of accessing deeper resources of meaning, resonance, human connection, and alignment - in each moment - that makes our daily choices feel intrinsically rewarding.

Are we aiming for:

  • Increased Motivation: When our actions align with our deeper values, might they feel less like chores and more like vibrant expressions of our true identity?
  • Sustainable Life Changes: We know from the work of Daniel Pink and others, that it's intrinsic rewards that are often self-reinforcing, and reduces the reliance on external validation - the egoic, shallow self as The Mindful Communicator describes it.
  • Improved Relationships: Surely a more soulful approach embraces the daily practices of empathy and authentic connection, vital for long-term collaboration and personal growth?

So many books and articles in the lifestyle improvement space focus on “doing” while neglecting the importance of the levels and quality of “being.”

What Sets The Mindful Communicator Apart

The Mindful Communicator is not just another toolkit of tips for better living; it’s a roadmap for aligning the mechanical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of life. It can be implemented as a personal tool or as part of a coaching 'fellowship' with others from across the organisation. A great way to unite disparate functions across a business with a common language.

Here’s how it goes beyond the surface:

  1. Focus on Being Fully Present
  2. Integration of Values
  3. Creating Conditions for Living with Soul
  4. Intentionality
  5. Organising How We Think and Communicate
  6. Mindful Interactions
  7. Creating Value for Others

In addition, when the seven principles are embedded in a digital workplace, they have been shown to create some powerful and sustained shifts in a leaders' approach to leading.

Is the The Mindful Communicator a Better Way?

As an eight-module, CPD-accredited one-to-one or small-group coaching programme, The Mindful Communicator combines:

  • Practical strategies for habit formation, intentionality and productivity.
  • Mindfulness techniques to enhance presence and connection.
  • A values-driven framework for sustainable, meaningful change.
  • A clear focus in developing mutually supportive relationships with others.
  • Neuroscience-backed insights for improving cognitive and emotional well-being.

It’s a comprehensive approach that integrates some of the best of modern methodologies while addressing their shortcomings, and may support a transformative experience that nurtures both your productivity and your soul.

A Call to Action

If you’re feeling stuck in the endless cycle of productivity for productivity’s sake, ask yourself: 

Am I living a life aligned with my values, or am I just trying to get lots of stuff done?

Am I connecting deeply with other people in a rewarding way, or are my interactions rushed and transactional?

Is there something missing?

The Mindful Communicator may offer a path to deeper fulfillment by integrating souful living into your personal strategies for success. It’s not about doing more; it’s about being more - more present, more connected, more purposeful.

If you’re ready for something that nourishes not just your productivity but your emotional and spiritual vibrancy, and that of your team/organisation, you could do a lot worse than take a very close look at The Mindful Communicator.

#mindfulness #communication #values #productivity #sustainability #personaldevelopment #coaching