Don't Plan.  Here's a different idea: forget the planning, time management and strategizing about how you're going to organize and just get in there and do it. With a Zen concept called "don't know mind" you can jump right in and follow the process without knowing where you're going. I first heard of this concept from a friend when I told her I was in a state of transition and feeling curious and receptive rather than anxious and stressed, as I usually would. She said, "That's a good thing. It means you're in 'don't know mind.'" She explained that I wasn't feeling stress because I had no expectation or agenda for the future. This state of mind can free you up to get the work done, even if you don't feel prepared.

Ask the Questions. So, what is "don't know mind"? To quote Zen Master Wu Bong,* "keeping a 'don't know mind' means cutting off all thinking. Cutting off all discursive thoughts takes us to the wellspring of our true nature, and brings us to the present moment. What are you doing just now?" When you're working sorting paper or objects, keep asking yourself, "what is this?" and "why do I want to keep it?"

It may seem self evident that, say, the entire folder of papers from a great conference should be kept. But as you examine each one, you discover that some are flyers for past events or parking directions or other information that was important then but not now. During the conference the folder was your necessary and constant companion. And since you "know" it's important, you may be tempted to keep it without actually looking at it. Even if you think you know the answers, asking the questions can elicit surprising information.

Be Here Now.  Often, organizing brings up strong emotions. "Don't know mind," with its simplicity and lack of judgment, is a way to see that emotional attachment to something is separate from the thing itself. The past is not meaningful in itself. As Homer Simpson says, "History is just a bunch of stuff that happened." The past only counts if it informs the present and you need to be in the present to make that decision.

Having a "don't know mind" isn't the same as just letting things happen. In meditation the goal is to be here now, not to blank your mind but to hear the car pass outside, the upstairs neighbor, the clock ticking, your breathing, another car passing. When you do this while you're organizing, you're receptive to what is happening in the present, free of the distractions of past and future. You can release your attachment to the outcome (future) and let the process unfold.

* copyright Providence Zen Center

Take Care,
Claire