Opening & Closing Checklist

During the late 90’s and early 2000’s throughout my later teens and early 20’s I was employed by the Target Corporation as an Target Protection Specialist TPS (fancy title for uniformed security officer). As a TPS my primary day to day job responsibilities were to ensure the physical security both inside and outside of the building while minimizing any losses of assets to the company. Depending on whether I worked the morning or closing shift there was either an daily Opening or Closing Checklist that needed to be completed prior to opening or closing the store’s main entrance during business hours. On the checklist were things such as;

• Are all fire exits free and clear?

• Are all guests out of the building?

• Are all videos and camera equipment operational and recording?

• Is there any cash laying around any of the registers?

• Are there any vehicles parked in any of the fire lanes?

The goal of the daily checklist was to ensure the safety of all Target guests and employees while at the same time minimize any potential preventable losses of assets to the Target Corporation. Fast forward to2020 when the other day during one of my sitting meditations this memory like a flashback came back to me. At first I started to reminisce about that time of my Life, what I was doing, my fellow coworkers, my boss at the time and then all of a sudden it hit me…

Why don’t I have my own daily Mindfulness Opening & Closing Checklist? A little morning and evening routine to ensure and maintain the integrity of my most valuable asset, my Mind and Body. Although I’ve been practicing Mindfulness since January of 2015 and established a regular daily practice it never occurred to me the importance of beginning and ending the day grounded in Awareness. I now issue a challenge to my fellow practicioners to create and establish their own daily Mindfulness Opening & Closing Checklist, here’s my list;

Opening Checklist

• Wake up

• Take a couple of moments to arrive into wakefulness

• Take 3 long deep intentional breath’s to further fully arrive into being awake

• Body Scan (release any noticed unnecessary tension or holding)

• Gratitude practice (Think of 3 things I am grateful for)

• Set an intention for the day

• Whisper or speak out loud a positive affirmation of my choice

Closing Checklist

• Lay down in bed

• Take 3 long deep intentional breath’s to arrive

• Body scan (release any noticed unnecessary tension or holding)

• Review my intention for the day

• Gratitude practice (think of another 3 things I am grateful for)

• Repeat positive affirmation of my choice

• Seal my capstone and eventually fall asleep