This entrepreneur is essentially a Buddha in the boardroom. Walter Georgja (Xi Jing Mi), Co-Founder and Chief Wellness Officer Zing CoachA personal trainer app, is also the first non-Chinese official Shaolin Temple master of the 32nd generation, and has been a secular monk since 2006.
As Georgja explains, a secular monk is one who completed Buddhist studies and took vows at a temple, but then decided to return to regular society to teach his knowledge to a wider audience.
“My work largely consists of sharing the ancient knowledge of Shaolin, augmented by contemporary scientific knowledge and my own diverse experiences,” said Djerja, who lives in Lugano, Switzerland.
Georgja uses this knowledge to work with people to improve health and wellness, performance and fitness, mindset and mindfulness, strategy and effectiveness, habits and focus.
Over the years, Jerzy has worked with sports teams and athletes, such as the Milan football team, Olympic and world champion medalists in ice skating, professional racing drivers and world champion martial artists. He has also worked with medical clinics and research centers and universities around the world, and founded European Shaolin culture centers in the early 2000s before co-founding Zingcoach in 2020.
A typical day in the life of a secular monk includes a 6 a.m. start for energy exercises, meditation, running, strength training, and martial arts. After breakfast, Jerzy prepares for the day’s tasks, including “careful prioritization.”
The afternoon involves Shaolin movement and stretching, and the evening involves reading, writing, planning, and reflecting.
With such a disciplined schedule, Jerzy definitely knows a thing or two about work efficiency, especially overcoming one of the most common ailments of modernity with all its distractions: procrastination.
“Shaolin is a culture of action, and it has taught me again and again that action is the antithesis of procrastination,” Georgja said. “The primary focus at present is to ‘do things’ by taking small steps towards it, as this is the only actionable time we can do something.”
Jerzy believes that defeating procrastination requires three steps: understanding the brevity of time, starting, and not stopping.
The delay stems from indecision and a lack of structure, Georgja said. “Procrastination today feels like being overwhelmed with too much freedom,” he said. “We are faced with endless choices, constant streams of information, and the pressure to always be busy, but that doesn’t mean being productive.”
Jerzy compared it to the fantasy of standing at a buffet with more food than you could eat, being paralyzed by options and not choosing anything. “Many people fall into the trap of endlessly researching the best way to do something or waiting for the right moment when in reality none exists,” Georgja said.
One way to break the cycle of procrastination is to create personal rituals, like the Shaolin monks, who integrate ritual practices into their daily lives to maintain discipline and focus.
“Your ritual can be as simple as starting each workout with a five-minute breathing exercise or spending a few minutes writing down your priorities for the day,” suggests Georgja. “Start with a small, daily ritual, like setting a timer for focused work sessions and then taking short breaks.”
So-called “micro commitments” — or what Jerzy calls “small, low-pressure promises to yourself” — can have a big impact on your life.
“By committing to just five minutes of work, you remove the mental barrier of getting started, and often, once you get started, it becomes easier to continue,” Jerzy said. Or, tell yourself that you will only work on a task for two minutes. This takes away the pressure of a huge time commitment, making it easier to get started and most of the time, those few minutes end up being too long. “But if they don’t, you’ve still taken a step forward,” he said.
One of the most common causes of procrastination is missing the big picture.
“Sure, it is important to have a big vision, but without actionable steps, it is practically useless,” he said. “Instead of getting overwhelmed by the end goal, break it down into smaller, more doable tasks. Make a plan outlining each step so you can focus on one activity at a time.
The step of defining your big goal and writing your game plan is essential. “For example, if you’re starting a business, break it down into steps, like researching the market or building a website. Then, take those milestones and turn them into daily, bite-sized tasks — one or two major tasks each day,” he said.
Accordingly, he said, you should create a deadline for accountability, but remain flexible. “Focus on steady progress rather than perfection, and keep track of your small wins to build momentum. Remember, the vision inspires, but the action makes it real,” Jorja said, emphasizing that as long as you take the first step, “no matter how small, the momentum will follow you.” ”
No matter what you do in your career (and life), Georgja wants us common folk to know that you should always have “beginner’s mind,” as it’s known in Buddhist vernacular.
He said, “Although we strive to become experts in our chosen fields, the expert attitude often prevents us from growing, while also taking away the charming and charismatic enthusiasm of beginners.” “To thrive, become the wisest expert and yet remain the most curious of beginners. Also, find opportunity in every challenge. Both will be in abundance.”
