We’ve all been there: You wake up with the best intentions to memorize a new shloka, dive into a stack of spiritual books, or finally master that bhajan you love. But then, a “five-minute” break turns into a three-hour movie marathon, and the day slips away into the digital void.
It’s a frustrating cycle… knowing exactly what you want to do, yet watching your mind opt for the path of least resistance every single time. Is it a lack of willpower, or is there a flaw in how we’re structuring our lives?
Finding the balance between our spiritual aspirations and the gravity of worldly distractions is a struggle as old as time. We often have grand plans to dive into verses (shlokas) and scriptures (shastra), only to find ourselves three hours deep into one distraction after another. Alas, time up!
In the following exchange, we explore the psychology of the “drifting mind” and a surprisingly simple, mechanical way to stop the spiral before it starts. If you’ve ever felt like your routine is running you instead of the other way around, this one is for you. Steer your mind back home!
The Correspondence
The Inquiry:
Hare Krishna, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have been having this issue where I feel I want to do so many things, like learn shlokas, bhajans, and read books after books, but ultimately I end up engaging in sense gratificatory activities like watching movies and wasting my time.
I wanted to ask for your guidance to help me understand why I am not able to get control of my routine and my mind. What is it that I can do to improve my situation?
The Response:
Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances. Jaya Srila Prabhupada.
To be honest, I also end up wasting time. But I have more practice in trying not to waste time… That practice helps me a lot.
The best thing is to start reducing the variables in your schedule. If you have a bunch of free time, then whatever your mind finds most attractive at that particular moment will get done. And the mind cannot be trusted to do the right thing. It’s terrible at that.
Lord Krishna reveals to us the nature of the mind in 3 succinct verses…
1. The mind can either degrade us or deliver us…
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ॥ ५ ॥uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur
ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥTranslationOne must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well. BG 6.5
2. Mind conquered, it’s your best friend. No? Your worst enemy.
बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जित: ।
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥ ६ ॥bandhur ātmātmanas tasya
yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śatrutve
vartetātmaiva śatru-vatTranslationFor him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy. BG 6.6
जितात्मन: प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहित: ।
शीतोष्णसुखदु:खेषु तथा मानापमानयो: ॥ ७ ॥jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya
paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ3. Conquered the mind? You have reached God!
For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquillity. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same. BG 6.7
Say you have something on your schedule, perhaps 15 minutes for a specific task or a checklist for your day, and a clear principle that you don’t do anything else until your checklist is done. That means your basic minimum standard will get done before the mind finds the freedom to ask, “What should be done now?”
Right now, I’m in one boring conference session and I asked myself, “Is there anything better I could be doing while remaining here physically?” And the answer was clear.
Does this help?
Key Takeaways for Mastering the Routine
If you find yourself stuck in the “aspiration vs. action” gap, here are three practical ways to apply this guidance:
- Eliminate “Decision Fatigue”: The mind loves a vacuum. When you have an unplanned hour, your mind will almost always choose the easiest, most stimulating option (like a movie). By scheduling specific “non-negotiable” blocks, you remove the room to make a poor choice in the moment.
- MVD – The Power of the Checklist: Establish an MVD or “Minimum Viable Day.” This is a short list of spiritual activities that must happen before any leisure activities. By tying your sense gratification (movies, social media) to the completion of your goals, you turn your distractions into a reward for your discipline.
- The “What is Better?” Filter: Like the example of the boring conference, we often find ourselves in situations where our physical presence is required but our mind is free. Instead of defaulting to scrolling on a phone, keep a book or a list of shlokas ready. Ask yourself: “Is there a higher engagement for my consciousness right now?”
The goal isn’t to be perfect overnight, but to become more practiced at catching the mind when it wanders. Having a plan is key.
यतो यतो निश्चलति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् ।
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ॥ २६ ॥yato yato niścalati
manaś cañcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayetFrom wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.
Specific Examples
To bridge the gap between “wanting to do” and “actually doing,” we can break down the advice into three actionable pillars.
1. Reduce the Variables (The “Fixed Block” Method)
When your schedule is vague, the mind chooses the path of least resistance. By turning a “variable” into a “constant,” you remove the need for willpower.
- Vague Plan: “I’ll read Srimad Bhagavatam sometime this afternoon.” (Result: You probably watch YouTube instead).
- Specific Example: “From 6:00 PM to 6:15 PM, I am sitting in my chair with my Bhagavatam open. No phone, no exceptions.”
2. The “Non-Negotiable” Checklist
You don’t have to immediately ban all distractions, though you could do that too. In the beginning, you can establish a “gatekeeper” for your distractions. This ensures that even on your least disciplined days, your spiritual minimum is met.
| Spiritual Goal | The “Compromise” (Distractions) |
|---|---|
| Example: Finish 16 rounds of Japa and read 5 pages of Bhagavad-gita. | Rule: You cannot open Netflix or a movie app until these two items are checked off. |
| Example: Memorize 1 new shloka line. | Rule: You can only check social media after you can recite that line from memory. |
Of course, there will come a day when there is no need to compromise. There will be nothing left in your schedule except devotional service, and more devotional service. There will be just a little bit of inevitable eating and sleeping before you resume your seva again, and that too will be minimized!
3. Utilize “Dead Time”
We often waste time because we feel “stuck” in a physical situation (like a commute or a slow meeting). Preparation is the antidote to this boredom-induced distraction.
- Specific Example (The Commute): Instead of mindlessly scrolling during a 20-minute bus ride, keep a digital folder of bhajans or an e-book ready.
- Specific Example (The Waiting Room): If you are stuck in a waiting room or a “boring conference,” ask the question: “Can I chant silently or review my shlokas right now?”
We don’t have to become a robot. We also don’t have to be a slave to knee-jerk responses. You want to become a master of your own responses to the environment. By narrowing the choices your mind has to make, you give yourself room to breathe.
Does your current schedule have many “open gaps” that usually lead you toward distractions, or do you find it harder to start the spiritual tasks themselves?
Freedom through Genuine Spiritual Progress 