“Be more efficient.
My dad quit fishing because it became frustrating for him to tie the knots. I now know what he went through. My eyes aren’t as good and my fingers not as nimble as they used to be.
From changing a spark plug to tying your shoes, everything you do, every physical action- do with forethought, care, and above all- purpose. At first people will call you slow or methodical but over time, your speed and performance will pick up. It’s your life, you get to choose the pace. And it helps to put your glasses on…”

I also got tired of misplacing my keys and my lighters (smoke free for a year now). I learned to focus intently now on where I place them. My keys get shoved deep in my right pocket when not on the key rack.

I don’t know what you’re experiencing but it’s not mindfulness. Mindfulness is not involuntary and ironically, takes a conscious effort.

As I get older, I find myself occasionally lapsing into short periods of mental disengagement. That is, I suddenly just stop and my mind wanders off into a condition or state where I am thinking…nothing. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen when I’m operating machinery or conducting business, but when I am relaxed and at ease. For example, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the hourly 5 minute news briefing on the radio, and when it finally comes, I “zone out” and miss it. I don’t think I’m dozing off, or lost in some daydream, I just black out. Other times I will hear the news bulletins and realize that I don’t remember any of them just moments later.

This has been happening more and more frequently as I get older, and I wonder if it is just a natural result of the aging process. Still, I find these periods of disconnection alarming, and I keep track of them.
So far they don’t happen when I’m, say, driving a car, but if they do I know its a potential big problem. But they do seem to be happening more and more frequently.

If this is the so-called mind-emptying result of mindfulness, then I don’t like it. I don’t see it as something I want to do, and certainly not unexpectedly. It is, at best, a form of involuntary distraction.

A related symptom is a loss of motor control. For example, If I am carrying several items using both hands (an umbrella, the mail, my car keys, a coffee cup) I will often forget I’m carrying one of them and it will drop to the ground. Again, is this just a case of natural old-age clumsiness, or does it mean something is wrong?

I lose my train of thought in conversation, I temporarily forget commonplace facts (the name of a favorite actor, where I left my glasses, whether or not I locked a door or turned off a light. Sometimes, when I go back to check I forget why I am going back and I have to go check again (OCD?). I often catch myself failing to “truly listen instead of listening for a chance to interject your thoughts, opinions and experiences”.

I understand these are probably just natural steps in the aging process, and as long as they don’t seriously affect my performance they are no big deal. But I don’t think it is overly paranoid to monitor and catalog these events in case they reveal a more serious problem.

Roll your eyes if you wish, but Deepak Chopra was right, “the mind is a spoiled child”, constantly demanding attention. There is a difference between “the thinker having the thoughts” and the thoughts themselves. I dare you to try to go 30 seconds with no thoughts or images in your mind. You’ll see just how spoiled it is.

Another practice common to mindfulness is to learn to truly listen instead of listening for a chance to interject your thoughts, opinions and experiences. It’s another way to get out of your head and actually connect with the person you’re conversing with. It is seldom reciprocated but has it’s benefits.

The main theme of mindfulness is to learn not to worry about things which usually never come to pass. The future is fluid. All of the philosophy is intended to allow you to find peace in a complex and constantly changing world.

But hey, I’m just ranting off topic here on the Space/Science board lol.

I think the old “Comestible Zone” should be re-dedicated to “Humor” or “Culture”

I am not fast, innovative and flexible. I am deliberate, careful and methodical. I avoid situations which are likely to change quickly and unpredictably. I’m hesitant about exploiting unexpected openings–I always fear an ambush. I’m a chess player, not a poker player. Maybe I’m not too creative or aggressive, but I don’t make mistakes and I’m strong on defense. Maybe I don’t need to be mindful because I know my strengths and my weaknesses and I choose my battlefield and my strategy carefully. The tactics usually take care of themselves.

When attacked, I retreat in an orderly and disciplined fashion, until my opponent over-extends himself and gets bogged down. Then and again, I am overwhelmed by a strong offense, but usually I wind up victorious.

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.

Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

In my experience, traditional meditation, say with a mantra, is to empty one’s mind of all thought. “Empty your mind of everything.” When I meditate, it is an attempt at awareness. Every sound, smell taste, sensation. I mainly practice it if I am waiting for something, like waiting at the dentists, or the DMV, or in a line at the store. Instead of getting pissed off at my impatience, I count the people, I notice what they are wearing, I look for exits, I count the lights, the chairs, look at everything on the last minute buy rack…

Or yes, as you say, look at myself and my thoughts from the outside.