Rules and Discipline in our Work
Last week we focused on the importance of discipline, especially discipline applied to our work. Let's talk about "rules" now.
Rules and discipline work together. We might think of discipline as the "enforcer" of the rules we follow. And we all do follow rules in some way, shape, or form. We'll focus on work rules in a bit. But first, let's look at some non-work-related examples of rules.
How about The Rule of St. Benedict which we've discussed many times in the past? One way to look at it is as a set of rules - although it's much more than that. But as a set of rules to be observed and obeyed, it requires discipline if the rules are to be followed carefully. St. Benedict himself proposed his Rule as a way to get his monks on the same page. He broke his Rule down into daily readings. Traditionally, Benedictine monks have read the Rule each day. The way St. Benedict broke things down, you wind up reading the entire Rule three full times each year, first beginning in January, then in May, then in September.
In our own lives, as Catholics, we observe rules, beginning with the Ten Commandments. Again, these are more than mere rules: Following the Commandments as a mere set of rules misses the point of them. For one thing, these Commandments form the foundation of the natural law that is common to all people. On a personal level, for our lives to be peaceful, serene, and sanctified, we must go beyond a superficial adherence to the Commandments. But that doesn't mean it's not important to observe the Commandments faithfully in all particulars. Discipline helps us to do just that.
Example: "Remember thou keep holy the Lord's Day." Setting aside our current mess that made Mass unavailable for a long stretch, and only somewhat available now, at the basic level of a rule, this Commandment requires us Catholics to attend Mass at least every Sunday, as well as on Holy Days of Obligation. (These days, too many Catholics don't seem to understand this - a subject for another day perhaps.) But, of course, just "showing up" every Sunday and going through the motions doesn't do the trick. Sure, it fulfills the rule in a superficial manner. But without our full attention, without putting our mind, heart, and soul into the mix, we're not observing the "rule" in the manner intended. It's intended not merely as an obligation but as a way to grow closer to God.
Discipline will help us observe the rule at the superficial level: Show up! And discipline can also help us fulfill the rule in its full richness: For example, we can make it our business to: show up on time (or even a little early); reverently genuflect before sliding into the pew; recollect ourselves before Mass begins; pay attention to what's going on (and it's as awesome an event as any of us are ever likely to witness); only receive Communion when we are confessed and in a state of grace, etc. These are little rules we might impose on ourselves.
We'll circle back to this in a bit. But let's now shift our attention to our work. Every job, every business has basic rules we're expected to follow. They vary from business to business, job to job. You'd be remiss and foolish not to know the rules in your particular situation.
Some quick examples from my own work experience:
Meetings: The last corporate position I held had a rather elaborate set of rules for meetings. There were multiple weekly meetings, monthly meetings, and quarterly meetings. You were expected to attend, and to be on time. Participation varied with the type of meeting. At most you were expected to shut up and listen. At others, occasional participation was tolerated. Few allowed for robust exchange of ideas.
One of the real joys of starting my own business was ditching formal meetings. On the other hand, we do have rules when it comes to meeting with clients, business partners, vendors, etc. The first and most important rule: Have an agenda. After suffering for years through agenda-less meetings, it may have been the first rule I imposed on the business when we started. In fact, in the beginning, every client meeting was accompanied by a written agenda provided to the client. Agendas always kept the discussions on point. We don't necessarily submit the written Agendas to clients at every meeting anymore, but we still do require an agenda to be created for every meeting and for every scheduled call.
Next time we'll continue discussing rules in both our work lives and our spiritual lives. When put together in the right spirit, one reinforces the other.
Rules and discipline work together. We might think of discipline as the "enforcer" of the rules we follow. And we all do follow rules in some way, shape, or form. We'll focus on work rules in a bit. But first, let's look at some non-work-related examples of rules.
How about The Rule of St. Benedict which we've discussed many times in the past? One way to look at it is as a set of rules - although it's much more than that. But as a set of rules to be observed and obeyed, it requires discipline if the rules are to be followed carefully. St. Benedict himself proposed his Rule as a way to get his monks on the same page. He broke his Rule down into daily readings. Traditionally, Benedictine monks have read the Rule each day. The way St. Benedict broke things down, you wind up reading the entire Rule three full times each year, first beginning in January, then in May, then in September.
In our own lives, as Catholics, we observe rules, beginning with the Ten Commandments. Again, these are more than mere rules: Following the Commandments as a mere set of rules misses the point of them. For one thing, these Commandments form the foundation of the natural law that is common to all people. On a personal level, for our lives to be peaceful, serene, and sanctified, we must go beyond a superficial adherence to the Commandments. But that doesn't mean it's not important to observe the Commandments faithfully in all particulars. Discipline helps us to do just that.
Example: "Remember thou keep holy the Lord's Day." Setting aside our current mess that made Mass unavailable for a long stretch, and only somewhat available now, at the basic level of a rule, this Commandment requires us Catholics to attend Mass at least every Sunday, as well as on Holy Days of Obligation. (These days, too many Catholics don't seem to understand this - a subject for another day perhaps.) But, of course, just "showing up" every Sunday and going through the motions doesn't do the trick. Sure, it fulfills the rule in a superficial manner. But without our full attention, without putting our mind, heart, and soul into the mix, we're not observing the "rule" in the manner intended. It's intended not merely as an obligation but as a way to grow closer to God.
Discipline will help us observe the rule at the superficial level: Show up! And discipline can also help us fulfill the rule in its full richness: For example, we can make it our business to: show up on time (or even a little early); reverently genuflect before sliding into the pew; recollect ourselves before Mass begins; pay attention to what's going on (and it's as awesome an event as any of us are ever likely to witness); only receive Communion when we are confessed and in a state of grace, etc. These are little rules we might impose on ourselves.
We'll circle back to this in a bit. But let's now shift our attention to our work. Every job, every business has basic rules we're expected to follow. They vary from business to business, job to job. You'd be remiss and foolish not to know the rules in your particular situation.
Some quick examples from my own work experience:
Meetings: The last corporate position I held had a rather elaborate set of rules for meetings. There were multiple weekly meetings, monthly meetings, and quarterly meetings. You were expected to attend, and to be on time. Participation varied with the type of meeting. At most you were expected to shut up and listen. At others, occasional participation was tolerated. Few allowed for robust exchange of ideas.
One of the real joys of starting my own business was ditching formal meetings. On the other hand, we do have rules when it comes to meeting with clients, business partners, vendors, etc. The first and most important rule: Have an agenda. After suffering for years through agenda-less meetings, it may have been the first rule I imposed on the business when we started. In fact, in the beginning, every client meeting was accompanied by a written agenda provided to the client. Agendas always kept the discussions on point. We don't necessarily submit the written Agendas to clients at every meeting anymore, but we still do require an agenda to be created for every meeting and for every scheduled call.
Next time we'll continue discussing rules in both our work lives and our spiritual lives. When put together in the right spirit, one reinforces the other.
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