Mindfulness of management in the office at home and work

Christopher Titmuss

Putting your office on the path

In 2005, Nicole Stern, international co-ordinator of the Living Dharma Pro
gramme, and a business consultant, came to my home and we spent days on a major clear out years of clutter in the office. We sent for recycling more than a dozen black binlners of old papers, minutes, reports, files in the cabinets and magazines in folders on the shelves. I also reduced my library started in 1977 of 2000 books by 20%.

Earlier this year, Sonya and I started phase two towards mindfullness and minimalism in the office. I must confess there is still some way to go but not too far. It was not easy working morning, noon and night to transform the world from a cluttered office! I realised one day that the Noble Eightfold Path needs to be practised in the office and for it be acknowledged as a heartbeat of dharma practice for office workers.

I have a desk computer, a laptop, an Apple Mac desktop, plus filing cabinet, accounts, newspaper cuttings, papers, letters, articles, files, magazines and countless office items, numerous e-mails in the In Box, CD boxes, shelves of books waiting to be sold. Stuff. It just accumulates

I had an agreement with myself never to exceed 1000 e-mails in the In-box. A few months ago, I reached 999 e-mails (after deletion of junk mail) in my in box that had arrived in the past three months. I had replied to most of them but all these e-mails needed filing away, deleting or were awaiting a reply.

Steps continue to be taken to get the entire office (one room at home) in some kind of order. I hope one day to reach the end of the Noble Eightfold Path in my office.

I invite you to join me in the same practice of Mindfulness of Management
in the Office at Home and Work

You can apply all eight links of the Noble Eightfold Path to your office. I found that five of them certainly apply to management of the office.–

Right Intention
Right Action
Right Effort,
Right Mindfulness,
Right Concentration

If you set your mind to such a practice, then you will get reasonably up to date with your office. If you give two full days of mindfulness for change in your office it will make a huge difference to your peace of mind. Add another two days for your computer.

For some of us, it is taking more than two days! A major clear-out, reordering and tidy up makes it far easier to work in the office. Stress is often repetitive thoughts about tasks not started or not finished.

If you apply Mindfullness of Management to your office and computer, you will experience the here and now in a fresh way while at your desk. It’s a great experience. Honestly. I have had a taste of nirvana (with a small ‘n,’ of course) in the office. Who would have thought it possible?

Below are some pointers, mostly gleaned from first hand experience,’ ‘how to’ books, websites, and guidance of Nicole and Sonya.

The path of practice in the office

Examine your office. Cover every area, every drawer, every shelf.
Examine your computer. Look at every e-mail, every folder and every piece of software.
Do you have backup of all the information on your computer?
When exactly was the last time?

One dharma practitioner told me: “I have never backed up anything on my laptop. I like taking risks.”

I replied: I back up regularly. I don’t believe in taking anything for granted.”

Ask two questions about your office

What do you need to keep?
What do you need to throw away?

You may need to give away or recycle large items that are no longer used – including furniture, wall hangings, large files, books and folders. The more space you see in your office the more space you will probably feel in your mind. The relationship between the two is called dependent arising!

Remember any in basket is a processing container, that means it is impermanent, subject to change, not a storage tray. I sent to the recyling centre my intrays as they were gaining their own self existence. Unprocessed items were staying in the trays for lifetimes.

General reference files should hold articles, brochures, pieces of paper, notes, printouts, faxes. A specialised filing system will also contain financial information and contracts.

I find putting Manila folders in my filing cabinets very useful because they allow me to see them very clearly in the drawer. Place a sticky label with name of contents in the top left hand corner of the envelope. Use an A to Z. filing system with Manila envelopes. I find Manila folders better than the hanging folders in a filing cabinet due to ease of use anywhere outside of the cabinet.

Here is a Triple Gem for Daily Tasks in the Office

1. Do it
2. Dedicate it
3. Defer it.

Five categories in the office

1. Reference books
2. Basic supplies (pens, calendar, celotape, paperclips, paper etc)
3. Equipment such as computer
4. Photography and recording equipment.
5. Filing equipment – cabinet, folders, boxes.

Mindful management of e-mails

1. Create one folder for an e-mail that needs less than five minutes for a reply.
2. Create one folder that requires more than five minutes to reply to.
3. Create one folder for e-mails that have to wait

This method will help you to keep up to date in your in box.

Once a fortnight make a complete backup of My Documents.
Once a month make a check up of updates for software on computer

Right intention

A detailed project list is a tool to go from an idea to an action. You may have a list of projects, personal, business and require co-operation from others.

1. Keep notes of tasks (use pen and paper or Notepad icon on screen,
2. Books to read
3. Web sites to explore
4. Downloading of articles and information
5. Projects to develop or complete

It is valuable to make full use of a calendar, hanging on the wall and keep a pocket one. Use the calendar on Outlook. This will help you to plan the year more clearly and answer inquiries of people.

Write small memos for yourself, and always travel with pen and notebook handy.

Make sure you have the necessary information for any programme or project.

Make sure your accounts and bills are kept up to date.

It is also useful to keep a check list of items to do.

If you have a website (s), keep it (them) up to date.

Right concentration on tasks

This includes

1. Collecting necessary information together
2. Processing the various tasks
3. Organising for the next week
4. Reviewing all your outstanding committments.
5. Remember to examine e-mails, manila folders in cabinet and incomplete tasks.

What are some of the projects you would like to start?

Right action is based on four criteria

1. Energy available
2. Time available
3. Priority
4. Context of the task

Three ways to deal with incoming information.

Here is another Triple Gem for the Office

1. Act immediately on it.
2. Keep as a reference
3. Dump it.

Review your system. Update your files. If you attend to details of a project, it will enable the project to go in the right direction.

Creative vision emerges from the empty mind.

Appreciate the potential of mind uncluttered with concepts, uncluttered with clutter around the office and not burdened with tasks to start, keep going or get finished.

Mindful management is to keep a process flowing, current and complete s much as possible. If you find transcendent bliss through applying these techniques, you could direct the same links of the eightfold path to every room of your home or garden.
Don’t overdo it. Enjoy the process.

May all beings be mindful
May all beings be free from stress
May all beings realise the end of the path

Very useful Reading: Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Recommended by Alan Lewis
(formerly Ajahn Vipassi), my computer technician.