How a Pointing-And-Calling Method Can Make You More Mindful
Paying full attention to what you’re doing increases memory and awareness.
Initially, the pointing-and-calling method was designed in Japan to be a safety system aimed at reducing work-related mistakes. A simple act of saying out loud whatever you are doing at the moment is capable of reducing errors by 85 percent! Today, it’s used not only by the Japanese railway system but also by the MTA subway in NYC and in other workplaces. But what makes it so effective?
This simple method proved to be effective because it raises our level of awareness. When you do something quite often, you start doing it automatically. Point-and-calling forces you to slow down and transforms your actions from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level. All you need is to verbalize your actions. It’s that simple!
Pointing-and-calling works well not only for railway systems. It’s a simple way to become in control of your habits. Things you do daily are usually so rooted in your life that you are almost unaware of them. Eating doughnuts for breakfast, smoking, drinking too much coffee when working… Before you can change anything, slow down and name those things.
Say out loud:
“Oh wow, this person eats too much sugar…
