Questioner: Sadhguru, at times, I see myself relentlessly pursuing goals, with a kind of a go-getter’s attitude. At other times, I am deliberately very patient, and I wait for things to unfold in their own unique and beautiful way. According to you, what is the better approach?

Sadhguru: In terms of doing anything in the world, we should know what we are doing. Capability, intelligence, all these things are needed. But one important aspect that people tend to miss, especially when they are young, is timing. If you do not time your actions right, even the best actions will go waste. Those who do not know how to time their life, will look at the astrological chart and say, “This is a good time, bad time, auspicious time, or inauspicious time.” There is no standard chart for this.

If you do not time your actions right, even the best actions will go waste.

Timing is most important. This is something I am constantly striving for people around me to understand – the significance of timing. They understand the significance of action. But most of the time, they do not understand the significance of timing. If the timing is right, even a small action will produce a huge impact. If the timing is wrong, even if you push hard, only little will happen. How do you arrive at the timing? This is a complex affair. One aspect is, you as a human being are not in the same state of physical and mental competence 24 hours a day. It is fluctuating all the time. When you want to hit an important shot, you must be at your best. You have to take care of this timing. It takes a lot of experience and wisdom to get the timing with the world. But at least with you, you time it. When you are at your best, you do important things. When you are not so good, you do not do it.

Being In the Zone

Recently, someone told someone else about his experience of driving with me, many years ago. He still remembered it since it so terrified him, because my right leg is heavy. He said, “The way Sadhguru was driving that day, I said, ‘Sadhguru, don’t drive like this.’” On a particular day when I’m on, I know that day I can do anything, and I will do it right. On another day, when I’m a little not there, then I know on this day I should step back and go a little more cautiously, like everyone else. There is also timing with the rest of the world, with outside situations. To hit the right thing at the right time in outside situations takes much more experience and observation. But at least the timing with yourself must happen, that you are at your best when you want to do important things.

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Do not decide what is important, what is not important. Just pay the same attention to everything, and apply yourself with the same level of intensity.

Once you understand this, you will realize it is extremely important to keep yourself at your best, every moment of your life. Because every little thing that you do, if you learn to do it with as much attention as the so-called big things, then you will see the cumulative impact of those little things you do, over a period of time, will be so big. These little things add up to something phenomenal, simply because you took care to do them with absolute intention, attention, and intensity of expression.

Before you realize all these things properly within yourself and around yourself, one simple, fundamental thing you can do is this: Do not decide what is important, what is not important. Just pay the same attention to everything, and apply yourself with the same level of intensity. If God comes, same intensity; if an ant comes, same intensity of attention and involvement. If you just do this, everything will sort itself out.

Right now, the biggest problem with human beings is they think, “This is important – that’s not important.” “This person is great – that person is no good.” “This is okay – that is not okay.” “This is God – that is the devil.” In this, they are becoming half alive. Because half the time, they are not there (with what they are doing), because they think it is not important. You are breathing right now. Is it not important? You must do it with total involvement and intensity. Then we will call you a yogi.

A Simple Method

Timing is the most important thing, because the time and the energy you have in your life are limited resources.

There is no such thing as important and not important. Whether you look at your friend or at someone you do not like, whether you are doing something that is socially important or not so important, as far as you are concerned as a life, every moment of your life is equally important. Everything that you do is important. What is not important, just do not do it. Why are you investing your life in something that you think is not important? Let’s say you are doing something silly. It does not matter if I think it is not important. But you think it is important. Only if you think it is important, you must invest your life in it. Otherwise, why? If you do this, you will arrive at the timing. It will take a little time, but you will arrive at the timing, and that timing is extremely important.

If you watch games like cricket or golf, you will see they always talk about the timing of hitting the ball. It is not about the strength. One person hits the ball wasting energy. Another person just flicks it, and it goes to the same place. This is timing! That is true in your life too. Timing is the most important thing, because the time and the energy you have in your life are limited resources. No one has endless energy. No one has endless time. So, you have to time it right. First thing is to start observing yourself. When you are at your best, you must do things. And if you observe yourself sufficiently, you will see you have to be at your best every moment.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the October 2019 edition of Forest Flower magazine. Click here to subscribe.