“It’s not about what we get, but who we become“ – Tony Robbins
Each one of us has goals in our lives, but we fail to pave the path (vision) that could take us towards their fulfillment. They are very important for each one of us; be it a dream relationship, job, physique or intent to make an impact in the society.
Our goals give us a sense of purpose, a reason to live and makes us passionate to not just settle for good but also strive for greatness.
However, having dreams and setting goals to fulfill those dreams is just the beginning of the Journey. Depending on our goals, the complexity and the duration to arrive at the destination may vary. Hence, it becomes difficult for most of us to sustain till we finish (perseverance). All of us manage to get the motivation for getting started; the question is how do we stay Motivated until we finish?
After reading numerous self-help books, listening to top global motivation podcasts and following some of the all time greats in various fields, I have identified the following 5 key things that can help you stay motivated.
- Do not overeat: Yes, that’s where you start. Demanding anything more than you need is greed, so is eating. When you overeat, almost 80% your energy is routed to ‘digestive system’. As per Yogic Science, this means all your energy is concentrated to the bottom three energy centers (chakras), which are the centers of survival. In order for you to stay motivated, you need to let the energy distribute equally to the other four energy centers (chakras) as well, which are the centers for love, compassion, motivation and creation.
Eating right and moving frequently, gives you high energy levels, razor sharp focus and hence better decision taking abilities.
- Watch those negative emotions and keep them away: You need to feed yourself with the right set of emotions and stay away from negative states such as fear, greed, anger, jealous and lust. Being obsessed with these limiting emotions and desires, again, keeps all the energy stuck at the bottom three energy centers (chakras). Keeping yourself positive by staying present, surrounding with positive people and being able to let-go, helps you organize and balance your energy across all energy centers. The more angry, fearful, jealous or lusty you feel, the more energy these emotions drain out of you. Staying positive, happy and in the state of love & gratitude, on the other hand, blesses the energy centers.
This does not mean you never get angry, become fearful or take stress. All you need to do is: 1. Stop bothering about things that you cannot control; accept them the way they are and then let them go. Even if you get in these states, do not stay there for a long period of time. Unfortunately, some of us are addicted to these disempowering states.
- Pain-Pleasure: We link ‘short-term pleasure’ to activities that give us instant gratification, like smoking, drinking, eating junk and procrastinating. However, if we link ‘long-term pain’ to these activities, it would be easy to give them up. Start linking ‘long-term massive pain’ to the things that distract you from your goal. In addition, when you feel like giving up on your goal, immediately link ‘long term pleasure’ of sticking to your goal.
- Design rituals: Will Power has shelf life; rituals don’t! The more successful a person is, the better daily rituals the person is likely to have. Talk about any legend in the field of sports, business, art and spirituality, and every great has one thing in common – Good Rituals. They help you organize your day well, get you more time for yourself, prioritize the important and deprioritize the not so important tasks. You then narrow your focus on larger goals of life rather than cribbing about small, inconsequential things around you. You are rewarded in public for what your practice in private. Your rituals should include:
- Good Sleep Cycle
- Fixed Meal Times
- A set of morning activities (exercise, meditation, reading, etc.) before you expose yourself to the external world. It could be as less as 30-60 minutes to begin with, but if you do it daily, it would be super-impactful in the long run.
- Good bedtime rituals (Read my blog for good bedtime rituals)
- Take that one activity that keeps you motivated: While for the first four things, you need to use your will power; it is always wise, every now and then, to let some positive external content available around you to keep you motivated. This could be
- Reading motivational books
- Listening to podcasts
- Watching a motivational movie or web-series
- Watching inspiring videos on YouTube,
- Following globally inspiring personality on social media.
You can also talk to a friend or a family member who has the potential to get you back on track.
You become what you think. And what you thing is largely determined by what you perceive with your 5 senses. Hence, try to consume as much positivity as you can, by eating the right food, talking to the right people, watching the right content and indulging your-self in the right set of activities that takes you close to your goal.
Everybody is different, so are things that motivate them; there is no fixed formula. As said in Bhagwad Gita “ Its better to live your life imperfectly rather than trying to live someone else’s life perfectly”. Try some of these for few weeks and see what works for you. Incorporate them in your life and motivate not just yourself but others around you!
