How can we avoid feeling burdened when we have unmanageable deadlines?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
When we have deadlines and we are unable to meet them, then we feel that work is a burden.
See, deadlines are not necessarily bad things. Because the fact is, we are not just in Rajoguna. We are in Rajoguna and Tamoguna.
So, quite often, if we did not have deadlines, we would never get anything done. So, sometimes we may not do things because we are just trying to do a small thing very perfectly and perfection takes time. Sometimes, we are just too lazy for doing things.
And sometimes, there might just be too much to do. So, all three possibilities are there. Perfectionism often comes as a distortion of Sattvaguna.
I want to do every small thing perfectly. We can’t do like that. We have to have a sense of proportion.
And in Tamoguna, we just don’t do anything. In Rajoguna, we just pile up the work. Prabhupada talks in 7.15 about self-created beauties.
So, when we have a deadline, it is good to clearly differentiate between what is essential and what is optional. This is the work which I have to do. And this, this, this, this is the essential level.
And beyond that, if I do this, it’s also good. So, what happens is the mind obscures this line between the essential and the optional. And in trying to do things which are not really essential, which are good, but they are not essential, our time gets deteriorated, and then we are not able to do the essential.
This is from our side. From the other side, if we see sometimes, it may be that we are just given an unfair amount of work. This is the only time I have.
There is so much work. It is just not possible. Then we have to, then we have to maybe discuss, negotiate.
It is not possible for me to do this much in this much time. Can I get some more time, get some extensions? Or then we, as we say, economize. If, see, life is all about making adjustments.
So, if you find that this much work is there, and I cannot do this much, just like if you have to go for a trip, and you have only this much money, then we find a cheap way to go for the trip, find a cheap place to stay. We adjust accordingly, we economize. So, then we may not do the same amount of work, same quality of work we may not do.
We may do something simpler within the accommodated amount, within the available amount of time. So, the important thing is that once we start seeing the work as a burden, then we see only the closed doors. This can’t be done.
Whenever one door is closed in life, life opens some other door for us. But often we are so caught in glaring at the closed door, cursing the closed door, blasting at the closed door, that we miss out on the door that is opened. And this is where, if we are practicing bhakti, then we can have an attitude of service.
If, Krishna, I am meant to serve you, please give me the strength to serve you, please give me the intelligence to serve you. If we think, this is the way I have to do things and they are not working this way, we feel frustrated. But if you have that attitude of service, Krishna, I want to serve you.
I just can’t see how I can serve you. Please guide me. Then that openness to Krishna’s guidance will help us find a way.
Prabhupada writes in a purport that a devotee may be perplexed, but a devotee is never discouraged. Perplexed means to not know what to do. Discouraged means to not feel like doing anything.
So we all will face situations where we will be perplexed. But only when we keep looking at the closed door and think, oh why, why, why, why, why is this happening? Why can’t I do this? Why is life so unfair? So just change the question from why to how. How means, how can I deal with the situation? How can I serve you now? How can I do the best in this situation? Now the why question basically makes us like a martyr, makes us like a victim.
And it immobilizes us. The whole problem is out there. Now the problem may be out there, we are not denying that.
But it immobilizes us. Just shift the question from why to how. Okay, how can I respond now? How can I act in this situation? And that is energizing.
And we will find some door opens up and we will be able to move on. So just try to, as I said, three things. First is that don’t see deadlines negatively, because most of the time deadlines is what enables us to get work done.
Because we are often influenced by tamoguna, which are by distorted sattva guna, by which become perfectionist or lethargic. So see deadlines positively as means to get a work done for ourselves. Secondly, when we have a certain amount of time, we try to differentiate between the essential and the optional.
And focus on the essential. Thirdly, when what is essential also seems very difficult to do. And rather than resenting with the question why, try to open the mental doors by asking the question how.
If we ask the question how, we will find some door by which we can keep moving ahead in our life. Okay.