Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

Shetty advocates for routine, as it creates space and time for creativity and inspiration: “Rules and routines ease our cognitive burden so we have bandwidth for creativity. Structure enhances spontaneity. And discovery reinvigorates the routine” (133). When one is mindful of the present moment and thoughtful of routine, every mundane moment and each similar day are actually filled with wonder, gratitude, and purpose.

To that end, Shetty advises his readers to get up “one hour earlier than you do now” (126). Noting that many people might be resistant to that advice, he assures the reader that “[t]he energy and mood of the morning carries through the day, so making life more meaningful begins there” (126). In order to rise early, it is best to create an evening routine that will facilitate good sleep and an earlier morning that leaves one with more free time, “one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves” (128). Practicing mindfulness in routine is also important: “Appreciating the everyday doesn’t even have to involve change so much as finding value in everyday activities” (135). After all, that is space in which one spends most of one’s life.

Shetty also emphasizes the importance of location and time: when one performs particular tasks in the same location at the same time, then these activities become “easier and natural” (140). Separating one’s workspace from one’s sleep space, for example, brings better results for both. In addition, bringing focus to everyday tasks is crucial; Shetty eschews multitasking—which, as multiple studies have shown, serves almost nobody well. Instead, “you should pick routines where [you] always single-task […] in order to build the skill” (142). In creating focused and mindful routines, thinking like a monk becomes natural: “Change happens with small steps and big priorities” (142).

The chapter begins with a personal anecdote about Shetty wrestling with his mind: taking a shower at the ashram only to walk back through the mud seems illogical and frustrating, but he does it anyway. It is an example of self-control: “it tested my ability to tolerate external difficulties. […] It strengthened my resolve” (146). He compares the monkey mind—attached to everything and driven by impulse—to the monk mind, which learns self-control, self-compassion, and detachment. He argues that “[t]rue growth requires understanding the mind” (147).

In another analogy, Shetty suggests that “[t]he monkey mind is a child and the monk mind is an adult” (149). The child behaves on impulse and is quick to frustration, anger, and disappointment; the adult employs reason and impulse control in making decisions and is more patient and understanding. In order to employ the adult mind, it must be trained. One must use the intellect to drive the chariot of the mind, hooked to the horses of the senses. Meditation is one way to nurture the adult mind, but it is also possible to begin “building the relationship between the child and the adult mind” (154). When these conflicting minds work collaboratively, rather than as adversaries, better outcomes follow.

While the subconscious mind can sometimes follow a stubbornly well-worn path, the conscious mind can be trained: “If you don’t deliberately rewire your mindset, you are destined to repeat and recreate the pain you’ve already endured” (156). Take action by talking to unkind subconscious voices; reframe negative thoughts and put circumstances into perspective; and work to cultivate self-compassion: “Talk to yourself with love” (163). Finally, the monkey mind can be overcome by maintaining a focus and awareness on the present, rather than “dwelling on the past or spinning into the future” (163). Again, detachment can assist in this process, by letting go of “selfish interest” and “escaping the hold of the senses, of earthly desires” (164). Shetty suggests ways in which one can attain detachment: be aware of the attachment (such as too much social media), then adjust the attachment (limiting time on social media), and “swap in new behavior” (170). For example, spend more time with friends than on social media. As Shetty argues, after the initial “pangs of desire abate, you’ll begin to feel the benefits of detachment. You’ll find new clarity and perspective. You’ll feel more control over the monkey mind” (171). The more detachment and self-control are practiced, the more natural such behaviors become.

Shetty discusses the dangers of an “unchecked ego”: it creates an “inflated self”; invites vanity; makes liars of those who fail to recognize the truth of themselves; and it can create “false hierarchies” which lead to judgment and prejudice (173-76). As a sub-heading states, “the ego is an obstacle to growth” (179). When one is too busy protecting the fragile ego and projecting faults onto others, then one has no time to listen to others and reflect on the true self. Shetty also notes that indulging in ego—demanding preferential treatment rather than earning it—can be an isolating experience. Ultimately, an unrestrained ego is a “double-edged” problem: “Egotism often masks, then transforms into, low self-esteem” (181).

Shetty describes his own humbling experience: he finally realized, after becoming physically ill and spiritually unfulfilled, that being a full-time monk in an isolated ashram was not for him. His realization was “a huge blow to my ego. I’ve invested so much of myself in this place, this world” (182). It took him time and self-reflection to begin integrating what he learned at the ashram into his daily life, but humility—what he terms “the elixir of the ego”—helped him to regain his footing: “If I see my life as meaningless, it will be. If I find ways to live my dharma, I will be fulfilled” (190). He re-entered the world as a humble “student of life” (190).

Humility is the antidote to ego, recognizing one’s small place in a larger world and acknowledging that one’s accomplishments are the result of love and assistance and the forgiveness of others—not just a singular personal achievement. Shetty remembers that the monks taught him to “remember the bad we’ve done to others and the good others have done for us” while also to “forget […] the good we’ve done for others and the bad others have done to us” (184-85; Shetty’s emphasis). In this way, one can actively practice humility.

Shetty emphasizes the importance of detachment in tackling the inflated ego: “When we let go of ownership, we realize that all we have done has been with the help of others” (187). Humility requires seeing failure as opportunity. Focus on building confidence—rather than stroking ego—and let the small wins inspire bigger long-term goals. Finally, Shetty advises his readers to “cultivate small groups of counsel around specific areas” (192), using feedback as a way to “increase your confidence and self-awareness” (194). True greatness comes to those who manage to achieve remarkable feats but remain grounded in humility.