How are you doing so far today? Have you spent the last 30mins or hour appropriately? Are you doing the right things or wrong things? If you're doing the right things, are you doing them right? How are feeling about your progress as the day progresses? What are you going to do now? What are you going to do next? Just thought I'd ask!

As we become more mindful, more focused, more present, we become more aware of what is going on around us - most people with whom I chat tell me that, having embarked on developing their own ability to pay attention, they suddenly realize how crazy people are: wandering aimlessly around airports (to the point that they miss their flight!); fighting on the road or in the carpark; talking to loved ones like you wouldn't even talk to a dog... the list is endless, because there's an endless supply of ordinary-minded people!

But, as our clarity of mind develops, we also become self-aware. In fact, self-awareness is a key preqreuisite for progressing in mindfulness or purposeful focus. However, part of this developing self-awareness is a heightened awareness of our own thoughts. And that frightens people - I know it certainly frightened me! Often, it feels as if our thoughts are amplified. Often, we realize how random our thoughts can be and how randomly linked apparently unconnected thoughts can be. As someone said to me recently, worrying about an issue at work led to wondering about who should play in what position for the Under-12s football team on Sunday morning!

As you become more aware, don't be afraid of the madness within - embrace the knowledge that you have now become aware of the stuff that runs your mind on auto-pilot. Don't be alarmed by the random lunacy of the 70,000 thoughts in your head. Embrace the knowledge and understand that, just as those thoughts arise, so can they pass. The problem for the ordinary-minded person is that, unaware of these thoughts, they allow them run their lives on auto-pilot. You're different, you know, you understand.

You also understand that a thought without attention is a nothing. That is why it is so important to develop your ability to come to your senses - to pay attention to what your senses are actually telling you in the here and now. This is the essence of mindfulness and, in this state of mind, the random crazy thoughts that arise do, indeed, simply pass.

• Purposefully focus - it doesn't come naturally, we're actually "wired" to not focus
• Set goals in a way that energizes your subconscious into focused effortless action
• Make your very best decisions and solve problems with ease - your brain can do this effortlessly
• Banish stress - we're ordinarily "wired" to be stressed