How to apply Bhagavad Gita teachings to succeed at Work (without Stress)?

"Action without expectations" - Really? Is that even possible?

What is ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and its battlefield setting?

The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. The battlefield of Kurukshetra was a central event in the Mahabharata. It was a massive conflict between two factions of a royal family, the Pandavas, and the Kauravas, over the rightful inheritance of the throne. Lord Krishna (Hindu God's incarnation) served as the charioteer and advisor to Arjuna, one of the Pandava princes, who was facing a moral and emotional crisis on the battlefield.

The atmosphere on the battlefield was tense and charged with anticipation with armies of both sides arrayed for battle, This battlefield setting served as a backdrop for profound spiritual teachings between Lord Krishna and Arjuna during a critical moment. It illustrates the relevance of these teachings in times of both peace and adversity. By choosing this setting, Lord Krishna addresses real-life complexities, including duty and morality. It offers wisdom applicable to personal development, ethics, and decision-making in daily life, including work and relationships. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on effort rather than becoming attached to outcomes, allowing individuals to navigate challenges and ethical dilemmas effectively - which Lord Krishna addressed as “Karma Yog”.

Photo by Elijah Hiett on Unsplash

Decoding the Modern Workplace Anxiety Saga

In the hustle and bustle of today's workplace, stress often feels like that party guest who just won't take the hint and leave. Picture this: you're juggling more deadlines than a circus performer, trying to decipher job expectations that sometimes seem as clear as mud and attempting to sidestep workplace conflicts that pop up like surprise guests at a party. It's almost like we should start handing out stress-themed party favours, right? 🎉

And to add a twist to the plot, there's a favourite corporate game in town – layoffs. It's the way companies often sweeten the deal for Wall Street. With the rise of AI, things have gotten even more complicated, with machines seemingly writing better software than some of us. This means you're expected to be more productive than ever before to secure your place in the ever-evolving work landscape. That elusive six-figure salary might seem like a distant dream, and even when you achieve it, there's often little time to savour the victory.

If you're fresh out of college, you'll need to work extra hard to avoid becoming the scapegoat of the dreaded Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) culture. Even if you're a seasoned pro, there's no escaping the demands to take on more responsibilities, deliver top-notch work, navigate office politics, and do it all with a smile.

By the time you're done with the day's grind, you're so physically and mentally drained that playing with your kids, going on a dinner date with your spouse, or catching up with friends seems more like a chore than a pleasure. It's a relentless cycle that can take a toll on both your physical and mental health.

You've probably asked yourself countless times whether it's all worth it. You may have even made resolutions to work only eight hours a day and not let the rat race consume you, but those resolutions tend to fizzle out after a day or two.

So, what's the solution? How can you avoid burning out and find a sense of balance in this chaos?

Enter Karma Yoga

The Bhagavad Gita, which dates back around 5,000 years (according to Hindu mythology during the time of the Mahabharata), has some ancient wisdom that's surprisingly relevant throughout the human race's history and even more in today’s modern workplace. It's not just philosophical musings; it's a practical way of life, and one of its facets is Karma Yoga.

Karma (Action) Yoga teaches us that it's not the work itself that stresses us out but our unhealthy attachment to the results. Imagine if you could put all your intellectual and mental faculties into the task at hand, without constantly worrying about the outcome. According to this philosophy, that's the secret to making work feel effortless.

God in the Bhagavad Gita reminds us that he/she only wants us to do our best in the present moment. It's a lesson we've heard before, but it's easy to forget in the chaos of modern life. So, Arjuna, as the Gita famously says, you have the right to perform your duty, but don't let attachment to the results consume you. In other words, rather than thinking of personal gain, think of your work as a contribution to society of which you are a part.

Wait what? I have a Mortgage to pay..

Absolutely, it's easy to dismiss these ideas as theoretical knowledge, especially when we have mortgages to pay, children to raise, and a world to explore, from Vegas to Alaska. We dine at fancy restaurants and acquire the latest gadgets to stay trendy, and thanks to Instagram, we jet-set around the globe to stave off FOMO (fear of missing out).

For many of us, work is all about the heavy paychecks and money, and that's the ultimate goal we're constantly chasing. How on earth can we let go of that? We're not running non-profit organisations, right?

Well, that's precisely what a shallow understanding of Karma Yoga might look like at first glance. But the truth is far from that.

Before talking about practical advice, let’s understand Karma Yoga a bit better. In essence, Karma Yoga revolves around three fundamental principles:

1. 'Minimalistic-being' for a Greater Good: Carry out your responsibilities with the aim of benefiting society as a whole, all while ensuring your own sustenance without excessive materialistic desires. A prime example from nature is a plant, which absorbs just the right amount of water and sunlight, diligently growing into a fruitful tree. Any surplus sunlight or water merely hampers its growth.

2. Give Your Best, Let Go of the Rest: Adopt a straightforward 'just-do-it' and 'do-good' mindset, without becoming overly preoccupied with weighing pros and cons. Much like a diligent student approaching their exams.

3. Embrace a Higher Power, Emphasize Service Over Acquisition: Acknowledge that sometimes the universe orchestrates events in your favour in other ways, but not necessarily as per your plans. This perspective prevents you from fixating on trivial matters while allowing you to appreciate the privileges you possess.

Thus, Karma Yoga suggests that if humans keep doing work for their own selfishness and not for the welfare of society, then no progress is possible in this world. This is evident from the extent of the progress we have made in technology due to the efforts of a few personalities who gave in all their best efforts without thinking of their personal interests. So, it’s about shifting focus from “self” to “service”.

Photo by Elissa Garcia on Unsplash

Let's shift our perspective and explore a practical approach to Karma Yoga that keeps the pressure at bay and boosts productivity in a natural way.

Practical Tips

In the tips below, I am deliberately omitting exact excerpts from Gita to avoid bloating the core practical points.

Tip #1: Embrace Responsibility: Money as a Means, Not the End

If your sole motivation at work revolves around money, there's a risk of losing your enthusiasm when you discover a colleague earning more than you. Instead, approach your job with a heightened sense of responsibility, akin to how you engage with your family at home. Just as you wholeheartedly invest effort in playing with your children, even when fatigue sets in, channel that same level of dedication into your professional endeavours, contributing to the organization's success. Over time, your distinctive approach will capture the organization's attention, potentially elevating your pay grade above that of your colleague. Taking on more ownership and responsibility is also a key to get promoted onto senior levels at any organization. When you prioritize excellence, financial rewards naturally follow, a testament to the leverage you've created by becoming the best version of yourself.

Tip #2: Embrace Humility at Work

When you work solely for selfish desires and not to serve the company, you may find yourself vulnerable and constantly trying to prove yourself right. This inflates your ego and leads to conflicts at work, increasing stress. However, if you consider that you work for the greater good of the company, you'll become more open to others' ideas, reducing ego clashes and workplace stress. It's a win-win situation.

Tip #3: Treat Failures as Learning Opportunities

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas A. Edison.

Whether you face setbacks at work or even get laid off despite your best efforts, view these experiences as opportunities to learn and grow. It's not the end of the world. Instead, you may choose to think of it as the organization's loss. Of course, if you lose your job when you're struggling financially, financial planning becomes crucial (a topic for another time). As long as you've built a financial safety net and put forth your best effort, setbacks are manageable. Keep pushing forward, and if you ever face failure, take it as positive feedback for self-improvement. Nervous tension won't help; it'll only cast you in the victim role and hinder your progress in life.

Tip #4: Let Go of Unnecessary Material Desires; rather donate stuff

We work for money to provide for our families and ourselves, but we often spend on material things that bring temporary pleasure, not lasting happiness. There's a distinction between temporary pleasure and happiness that we frequently overlook (a topic for another time). Is that luxury car that you bought last year giving you the same level of happiness today?

By practising this discernment, you can better determine how much money you truly need. This insight can guide you in choosing a job with the right balance between work and life, alleviating anxiety and succeeding with the right set of expectations. This doesn’t mean compromising for monotonous work. There are places that require work just right for your skillset and yet value employees’ personal lives.

On top of that, always spare some money from every paycheck or just old stuff at home (which you no longer use) to donate to a noble cause, that would embrace the divine sentiment that you are working for a social good.

Tip #5: Put a hard stop at work daily, to embrace Spirituality, Meditation and Gratitude

Now, you might wonder, does practising spirituality and gratitude mean we have to give up our regular work and act like saints? Not at all; that's not what the Bhagavad Gita is saying. Instead, it encourages us to raise our consciousness to higher levels while solving complex problems relevant to our profession. Meditation, a proven method for enhancing focus, can aid in this process. Thus, if you take meaningful breaks to meditate and enjoy in the moment, it acts like sharpening the saw. As you delve into spirituality, you'll realize how small you are in this vast universe created by a higher power. Any adversities you face won't seem insurmountable. Gratitude will naturally flow as you appreciate the basics: a place to live, food to eat, and a sense of belonging in the grand scheme of things. (Alternatively, you can follow an early morning routine to do that so as to not break the flow of focus in your work!)

So, there you have it, a practical approach to Karma Yoga that not only keeps work pressure at bay but also empowers you to be a workplace superhero. As a call to action, put reminders on your calendar with action items to keep you in check, in accordance with Karma Yoga.

Stay tuned for more insights and wisdom on this journey to a more balanced and fulfilling life.