The secret behind detached attachment

Abstract

The art of doing a job very well revolves around the idea of getting deeply engaged with the work that we do. While this is an important aspect and an undisputable fact, what we do not seem to have clarity on is the meaning of the term “deeply engaged” and its larger implications. A straightforward meaning of this it to put our body, mind, intellect and the senses into the work that we do and give full attention to the job at hand. Another way to describe this is to put the best foot forward. A researcher in a laboratory has a greater propensity to succeed if he/she is able to have a concentrated attention on the research work. Even if the researcher encounters several obstacles and unknowns he/she needs to have a focused approach to the job on hand in order to succeed in the discovery process. One can say the same about the CEO of a company in his/her efforts to improve the market share. The rule cannot be any different for a student, an entrepreneur or a sportsperson. In today’s terms, this would mean physical, intellectual and mental engagements. By intellectual engagement we bring in considerable analytical thinking into the work we do. By mental engagement we let the mind get involved, pick up its own emotions arising out of work and outcomes. This may unwittingly lead us into mental stress, job burnout and other hazards..........................