Is this you?
Feeling the pressure? Your calendar is jammed. Your phone buzzes with notifications. You’re juggling your job, a side-hustle, and trying to keep your social media looking perfect. Everyone is “crushing it,” “grinding,” and “building their empire.” But when you finally lie down at night, you don’t feel successful. You just feel exhausted. You’re chasing a result—a promotion, a certain number of followers, a bigger salary—and the chase is burning you out.
What if the secret to real success and peace of mind wasn’t in the result, but in the work itself? Millennia ago, this exact problem was addressed in a single, powerful verse.
The Ancient Anchor
From the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 47, comes this life-altering advice:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||
(Karmanyevadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana |Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sango’stwakarmani ||)
Translation: You have a right to perform your actions, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and do not be attached to inaction.
In simple terms: Focus on your work. Let go of the outcome.
How this ‘philosophy’ unfolds in the ancient texts
This isn’t just a philosophical idea. It’s a blueprint for powerful action, seen in our greatest stories.
First, picture Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. He’s the greatest archer in the world, but he freezes. He sees his cousins and teachers on the other side. He worries, “If I win, I’ll be ruling a kingdom filled with dead relatives.” If I lose, I’ll be humiliated.” He is paralyzed by the possible outcomes. Krishna doesn’t tell him, “Don’t worry, you’ll win.” Instead, he reminds him of his dharma—his duty as a warrior is to fight righteously. The focus shifts from the result (winning the kingdom) to the action (fighting with honor). That clarity gives Arjuna the strength to act.
Now, consider King Janaka, the father of Sita. He ruled a vast and wealthy kingdom. Yet, he was known as “Videha”—the one without a body. Why? He performed every royal duty with absolute perfection. He passed laws, managed his court, and cared for his people. Yet, he was completely detached from the results. He found his satisfaction in the act of ruling well, not in the power or wealth it brought him. He was present in his work, not lost in his ego.
Finally, think of Shabari, a humble, elderly woman living in the forest. She was told that one day, Lord Rama would visit her humble hut. She didn’t sit around anxiously waiting. Instead, every single day for years, she focused on one simple task. She would walk deep into the woods. She found the best wild berries. She tasted each one to ensure it wasn’t sour. She saved the sweetest ones for him. Her joy wasn’t in the future arrival of Rama. Her joy was in the daily, devoted act of collecting the perfect berries. When Rama finally arrived, he was more touched by her years of selfless action than by any grand offering.
The Modern Disconnect
Why is this so hard for us now? Because we live in a world obsessed with results. Social media shows us the highlight reel—the promotion, the vacation, the perfect relationship. However, it hides the thousands of hours of messy, un-glamorous work. “Hustle culture” tells us that if we aren’t constantly achieving visible goals, we are failing. This pressure makes us anxious, drains the joy from our work, and leads straight to burnout. We become so focused on the destination that we hate the journey.
Wisdom at Work
How can we apply this ancient wisdom today?
- In the Office/Hustle: Stop obsessing over the promotion or the sales target. Instead, ask: “What is the most excellent work I can do on this one task right now?” Pour your energy into crafting a great email, writing clean code, or making a perfect presentation. When you focus on the quality of your actions, the results, like promotions and respect, naturally follow as a byproduct.
- In Your Relationships: Don’t perform acts of love just to get a certain reaction. Call your parents because you want to connect with them, not just to be seen as a “good child.” Listen to your partner to understand them, not just to win the argument. Your focus on the selfless act itself makes the relationship stronger.
- For Your Motivation: Go to the gym to feel the strength in your body today. Do not go just to hit a goal weight two months from now. Write one good page of your novel without thinking about the bestseller list. When you find joy in the process, you no longer need willpower to keep going. The work itself becomes your reward.
Modern Sages
This idea is timeless. Swami Vivekananda championed it as Karma Yoga, the path to liberation through selfless work. He said, “Let us do our duty in every respect, and let us not be anxious about the results.” Even a modern icon like Steve Jobs echoed this. He didn’t set out to become a billionaire. He was obsessed with creating “insanely great” products. He focused on the craft and on every detail of the design. The immense success was a consequence of that devotion to the work itself.
Your First Step
Ready to try this? Don’t try to change your whole life overnight. Just pick one thing you have to do today. It could be a report for work, a difficult conversation, or a workout. For the time you are doing it, consciously let go of what will happen after. Don’t think about what your boss will say, how the other person will react, or how many calories you’ll burn.
Just focus on doing that one thing with your full, undivided attention. Do it beautifully. Do it completely. Find a sliver of satisfaction in the act itself. That’s it. That’s your first step on the path to freedom from anxiety and the beginning of doing truly great work.
