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Stop classifying action - This is challenging, that is boring!

January 24, 2011.


I have a deadline to meet. My clients are keenly following the progress of this deliverable. 


Yet, I procrastinate. I somehow can't force myself to deal with that critical deliverable. OMG! This is the time that all my favorite sites, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish blog and guardian.com have the most interesting articles on the topics I care about everyday. Can you believe it, Digital Inspiration even has an a post showing me how to block time wasting websites.!



Sound like a familiar dilemma? Don't tell me you have never experienced any of the following:
  • Do I really have to stay back and cleanup after volunteering at my favorite charity. I'm tired, I have a family, have to get my kids going in the morning..... 
  • Ever been single and lived by yourself abroad? Remember those visions of the sink piled high with unwashed dishes? You wash up only when you can't even find a clean cup for drinking water
  • Paperwork? Who has time? Let it pile up, I'll shove it into a box because next Sunday, I promise I will set aside the whole day just to take care of this.
So, what is the solution? Śri Krishna as usual has the right answer. In Chapter 18, 10th shloka, He gets to the heart of the matter. 


न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते |  १८-१०
na dveshTyakushala.m karma kushale naanushajjate ..
tyAgI sattvasamAvishta medhAvI Chinnasa.mshayaH .. 18-10

(The tyAgI) hates not disagreeable action, nor is he attached to agreeable action.



While Krishna refers specifically to the tyAgI or one who who is committed to renouncing the fruits of actions, the shloka is as much a caution to anyone who wishes to succeed in life.


We walk into a trap when we classify work as interesting, challenging or otherwise as routine, drudgery, etc. Śri Krishna says, "Stop! All those are nothing but different terms for likes & dislikes - राग द्वेश। Look at all work simply as something that must be done - नियतं कर्म (niyatam karma) or duties". Niyatam karma, consists of the following:
  • Daily obligatory duties - having a shower, eating proper meals (healthy, too!), we all know what these are
  • Obligatory duties arising from the mix of roles we play - parent, child, spouse / employee / employer, student, citizen, etc. 
  • Special obligations that arise because of circumstances such as a major celebration for a milestone, a death in the family, a social crisis, a natural calamity, illness, etc.
There is only one rule that applies to all of the above - DO THEM as soon and as best as you can. That is why Śri Krishna constantly advises Arjuna: युध्यस्व - Fight! The other funny thing - these duties never go away by themselves. They simply hang around and let the guilt pile up in my mind. 


For instance, the obligation to pay taxes on time rises from my obligations as a user of services and as a citizen of the country / resident in society.  Not something that you need to like or dislike.  


Now, much as I like to hold forth on Gita and  Śri Krishna, I have that deadline to meet.


Hari Om. Namaskar until the next post.

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