Sure the job market is tough right now. But, if you’re focused you can still be successful in finding the job that’s right for you. O Spiritual Warrior, your success will be in direct proportion to your ability to do two things: first, to meet the most pressing needs of a potential employer; and second your ability to utilize skills which give you an advantage over other applicants.

So, what is that most pressing need for employers in hard economic times? It comes down to one thing, money.

Inc., The Daily Resource of Entrepreneurs recently ran an article titled, “Wasting Time at Work Costs Companies Billions.” Here’s an excerpt:

“The average U.S. employee spends a surprising 2.09 hours each day wasting time at work, not including lunch hour, according to the results of a recent online survey conducted by America Online and Salary.com.

That’s twice the time employers estimate and already account for in salaries, costing companies $759 billion a year in wasted salary dollars, AOL said.

Non-work related Internet usage (44.7%) and socializing with co-workers (23.4%) are the top two ways respondents said they wasted time.”

Interestingly, O spiritual warrior, your special skill plays right into this problem of wasting time. Consciousness is your special skill, and it directly addresses this point of wasted time.

FleetOwner, a website written for executives and managers of commercial-trucking fleets that operate five or more vehicles, quotes Professor Jerry Osteryoung of the College of Business at Florida State University and the subject of consciousness and time management:

“The most limited resource all of us have is time. Time is something that is so precious in our lives, yet we just do not appreciate it enough”¦I could go on and on about various techniques for improving time management, such as dealing with interruptions, setting priorities, etc; however, I think time management is a much deeper subject. After having given a myriad of seminars on the topic, I have learned that people can improve their time management techniques for a short period of time, but very rarely have I seen long-term changes.

If you are going to change how you manage your time, it will take much more than just trying a new technique. Rather, you are going to need to take a conscious approach to time management.

So many spiritual leaders, such as Buddha and Gandhi, have talked about the importance of consciousness in our lives and how to go about achieving it. However, very little has been written about conscious decision-making in business. I believe that consciousness applied to time management is the secret to making real changes in how we manage our time and our lives.”

Utilizing your skills in focusing your consciousness makes you a much more attractive candidate than one more susceptible to time wasting distractions.

The real life example is Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. The follow is a wonderful excerpt about the life of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura from The Seventh Goswami by Rupa Vilasa Dasa.

Bhaktivinode Thakur’s Daily Schedule

"Lalita Prasad Thakur, in his notes on his father’s life describes the Thakura’s daily schedule while he was staying at Puri.

He was never idle, being always engaged in the service of the Lord. Between 7:30 and 8:00 PM he would go to bed. He would then rise just before 10:00 P.M., light his oil lamp and write books until 4:00 A.M. Then he would rest again for a maximum of half an hour. At 4:30 he would wash his hands and face, sit down and chant on his beads. He never showed his beads to anyone but would chant on them constantly, as time permitted. At 7:00 AM he answered all correspondence, at 7:30 A.M. he read various religious and philosophical works, and at 8:30 A.M. he received visitors, if there were any, or else he continued to read until 9:30. At that time he would walk back and fourth on the veranda of his house, contemplating different religious questions and solving them in his mind. Sometimes he would solve them aloud as if preaching to some unseen guest. He would rest briefly from 9:30-9:45 A.M., then take bath and breakfast, which usually consisted of half a quart of milk, two chapattis and some fruit.

At 9:55 A.M. the Thakura would don his uniform and leave for court in his carriage. As a magistrate he wore a coat and pants. On his neck were six strands of large tulsi beads. He was resolute in his court decisions and would decide a case immediately, not tolerating any humbug. He did his business and left. He shaved his head monthly and never cared what anyone thought of it.

The lawyers and Englishmen were astounded by the Thakura’s capacity for work. At 10:00 A.M. court began. He would hear between thirty and fifty cases per day, yet he finished by 1:00 P.M. What took other magistrates a half-hour, he finished in five minutes. He took another two minutes to write the judgment in detail. Some of his British superiors became envious and tried to discourage him, but he was not affected. At 1:00 P.M. he went home, refreshed himself and then returned to work from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Every evening after his court duties, Bhaktivinode Thakura would translate some Sanskrit religious work into Bengali by dictating it to a secretary. Then there was an evening bath and meal, consisting of a little rice, two chapattis and another half a quart of milk.

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur worked with a pocket watch, so that everything he did was on schedule. Despite his heavy domestic and official responsibilities, Bhaktivinode Thakura’s every moment was embellished with an intense desire to render service to the Lord."

Srila Bhaktivindoe Thakur was able to accomplish so much because of his crystal clear consciousness. Taking inspiration from this great spiritual personage we can learn to focus our consciousness on Krishna, and subsequently utilize the ability to focus our consciousness to efficiently accomplish our material necessities in life.

So, the next time you submit your Résumé don’t neglect to mention your experience with consciousness development. It’s your special advantage.