Last week the Daily Mail asked me to write a feature on mindfulness in business. Fortunately I was too busy to carry out the task: because, in truth, I think the concept is a bad one – at least for those who want to get ahead in their career.

Mindfulness is a fairly new buzz word used to sell lots of books and courses. As usual, the fad appears to have come from America – the home of so many self-indulgent fashions. They are a nation of almost naive early adopters – which means they embrace progress such as technology swiftly. But they also have a tendency to fall for psychobabble.

At the heart of mindfulness is the notion of living for the moment, and the use of meditation to relieve anxiety and depression. The idea of living for the present seems marvellous – it’s what my four-year-old son does. Such a carefree existence!