There’s a scene in The Last Samurai that struck me. Tom Cruise plays Captain Nathan Algren, and at one point in the film, he’s living among the samurai, slowly learning their way of life.
There’s this unforgettable training moment: Algren is sparring with wooden swords… and he gets absolutely smashed. One of the samurai pulls him aside and says:
“Too many mind. Mind the opponent. Mind the people watching. Mind the sword. No mind.”
In this video, I want to talk about the three minds you need to master at work.
I’m in Singapore today, just wrapping up a workshop with a group of leaders. And behind me — if I tilt the camera just right — you can probably see the Marina Bay Sands, this iconic hotel shaped like a giant boat perched on three towers. Apparently, the infinity pool on top is incredible. I haven’t checked it out yet, but it’s on the list.
During the workshop, we had this very familiar discussion: their days are completely fragmented.
Notifications popping up.
Emails streaming in.
Messages on Slack, WhatsApp, Teams.
People knocking on their door saying, “Do you have two minutes?”
And all these micro-interruptions stretch across a whole day.
So I shared with them something I call The Three Minds — a simple way to reduce fragmentation and rebuild control.
1. The Process Mind
This is the mind you use for speed and quantity: admin, emails. quick tasks, triage.
It’s the “get through a lot, fast” mindset.
It has a purpose — but far too many people spend most of their day here.
2. The Focus Mind
This is the mind for your big rocks — your key projects that actually move the needle long term.
The words here are: quality, depth, intention.
This is where high performance lives. One hour on one meaningful task. No noise. No jumping around. Just depth.
3. The Breathing Mind
The most forgotten mind of all. This is the five-minute reset between meetings: no work, no email, no thinking about the next task. Just space to breathe, re-centre, and reset your nervous system.
Most people skip this entirely — and wonder why they’re exhausted by midday.
The Three Common Mistakes I have observed over the years:
Mistake 1: Spending all day in the Process Mind.
It’s fast, but shallow. High performers spend more time in Focus.
Mistake 2: Mixing minds.
You start answering emails (Process Mind)… then suddenly start crafting a thoughtful, strategic response (Focus Mind). It doesn’t work. They are different gears.
Mistake 3: No Breathing Mind.
Without intentional breaks, your brain never resets — and performance drops.
So, here’s my suggestion this week: Be mindful of your mind.
A simple play on words, but a powerful shift.
Before starting a block of work, ask yourself: Which mind do I need right now?
And then stay in that mind until you intentionally switch.
It sounds simple — but it changes the whole rhythm of your day.
À bientôt,
Cyril
