Whatever You Do, Don’t Wobble

An ancient Zen proverb says: “In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.”

Every aspect of Zen culture like the tea ceremony, archery, calligraphy, or fencing is performed with a one-pointedness of mind on the task at hand. No wobbling allowed.

But could a saying constructed over a thousand years ago still be relevant today? After all, the Chinese didn’t have smart phones or the internet back then. They didn’t even have phones, computers or even light bulbs.

A society of multitaskers listen to NPR, check the weather forecast, sip a cup of coffee and make dinner reservations while driving to work. Some might say we’ve become a culture of wobblers.

The point of the proverb is not about multitasking, but about nonresistance. Resistance obstructs the natural flow of our thinking and acting throughout the day. Degrees of resistance vary, but any level of resistance depletes our energy and hinders our state of flow. In a state of nonresistance, we find a natural way of being in the world—at work and at home.

Alan Watts explains, “For the essential quality of naturalness is the sincerity of the undivided mind which does not dither between alternatives.”

Hesitation, confusion, frustration, lethargy, apathy, and anger are all forms of resistance. When we let them go, we are liberated, entering a state of effortlessness that makes life’s adventures infinitely more enjoyable.

So when emailing, just email. When texting, just text. When listening, just listen. When reading, just read. When writing, just write.

Focusing on the task at hand might not bring about satori (a moment of enlightenment), but it will profoundly increase your effectiveness at work, improve your relationships, and enhance your inner balance and alertness.

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1. Don’t Just Think It, Live It