How to work like a dog

Action dog and distraction dog captured on 35mm Kodak film with an Olympus PEN EF

Sometimes it feels like the only difference between my dog, Sarge, and me is that I can anticipate a corner when we’re driving and Sarge doesn’t seem to have any long-term hopes and dreams that aren’t directly related to walking or food. I know he has hopes – I can see them in his eyes. And I’ve seen him dreaming – he looks ridiculous running and yipping in his sleep. But the biggest difference between us is that he’s masterfully mindful, which gives his sharper focus and deeper sleep than I’ve ever had. His coat has a better lustre too, but that’s less relevant here.

Sarge has two different work modes – action and distraction. When it’s time to work, when there’s a clear goal – walking to the beach, a bone, a ball, any floor food – he dedicates himself wholly to whatever action is required to reach his goal. He’s deliberate, he’s focused, he ignores everything else except the task at paw. He is single-minded and relentless in his pursuit of his goal. There’s a calm urgency to his mindfulness as he invests all his energy in the present moment without a thought to the before or after. He acknowledges distractions – threats to his food, the possibility of more food – but as soon as he identifies that they’re unworthy of his time, he snaps back to working towards his goal. And when he’s not in action mode, he gives himself completely to distraction. This is activated when there’s no goal, no deadline, no urgency – just a dog out in the world living his best life. This is his go slow mode and is a different lesson in mindfulness. In this mindset, he completely invests himself in distraction with no regard for any previous plans. When a curious smell wafts across his way he’ll follow it until another distracts him again. He’ll go from peeing on a bush to lying in the sun, to sniffing out a months-old bone, to sleeping and back again as his heart wishes. He is distracted, relaxed, mindful and completely content. There’s no anguish on his face, no signs of guilt, no concerns for anything else he could or should be doing. He is resting like his life depends on it so when it comes time to leap into action, he’ll be ready. So what are we to make of this overblown analysis of my dog? 

How does this apply to the complexities of human responsibility and work? The key is to be a dog of action or distraction – give yourself wholly to either mode and push the other from your mind until it’s time to shift modes. When it’s time to work, you know there’s always something to do. And your list of tasks can quickly mutate  into a hot, overwhelming mess that demands an immediate coffee break. And sometimes it can feel like every time you cross something off the list, two more tasks pop up and ruin that brief moment of satisfaction you were savouring. Personal projects in particular can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re working on them on your own. And when you get overwhelmed there are two common reactions. You become dejected and distance yourself from the stressor and slip into distraction mode while quietly torturing yourself with guilt about the work you should be doing. Or you furiously double down and try to tear your way through the to-do list, blazing straight through lunch, nap time, and any kind of sustainable work-rest balance. It feels good in the short term but ultimately it’s a galant path to exhaustion. Balance is best and it’s made infinitely easier and more enjoyable with a big dose of dog-like mindfulness.

You’re not built to operate at 100% all of the time – you need to rest. And when you rest properly, it helps you get back to total focus quicker and maintain it for longer. But the quality of the rest is crucial. And there’s no better way to sabotage the quality of your down-time than by torturing yourself by thinking about how you could be using that time to achieve all your hopes and dreams. Feeling guilty about doing nothing doesn’t help you do more – it just ruins your rest, which impacts how you perform when it’s time to work. Then you feel guilty about not being at your best so, naturally, you double down and work through the fatigue and slide down into an exhausting spiral or guilt, poor quality rest, and torturous anguish.

The better path forward is taking Sarge’s lead and joining him for a walk. When you have time to work, focus. Be a dog of decisive action and humming mindfulness. Give yourself over wholly to your work. Enjoy the feeling of dedicating yourself to the task in front of you right then and there. Focus your energy so intently that all distractions fade away until your whole world is bound by the edges of your desk. Enjoy the act of working through the tasks you need to complete to achieve your goal. Whatever you’re working on, lose yourself in the process and the present moment of action. When people say you should enjoy the journey as much as the destination, this is what they’re talking about. There is pleasure in effort, especially when your efforts are focused.

And when you’re not working on your project, remember to be a mindful dog of distraction. Use the time you spent working as permission to relax and enjoy your time rolling around in distraction. Push your to-do list out of your mind. Avoid torturing yourself for not working – you’ve worked, so now you need to rest. Enjoy your time off and recharge. You need to rest to operate at your best. And when you’re ready to work again, focus. Shrink your world to whatever’s in front of you. You have two paths forward – action and distraction. Whichever you choose, discard the other. Give yourself entirely to your action or your distraction and stop torturing yourself by dreaming of the other. Remember to work like a dog – be deliberate with your intentions and mindful in your actions.