Even if you've never done a faceplant on concrete, chances are you've developed your own quirky mental editing tricks. We choose our targets based on what we decide at that moment is most meaningful. Your son might be totally immersed in playing guitar and forget all about his math homework. Your friend might get caught up in a woodworking project and forget to call you back. You might get so absorbed in a conversation with someone at grocery store that you forget to buy bread that was reason for your trip.

Mindfulness helps us pay attention, but it doesn't make us perfect. And that's perfect! It shows us our imperfections while helping us become less judgmental about them. A hefty sense of humor helps.

Use mindfulness to help you "step back" before tripping--on stories in your head, swirl of emotions you feel, and chaos of your life. Develop mental agility to step back, step into and step out of your chosen focus.

You might remain klutzy. You may forget to buy bread. But you won't end up tripping over what matters most.