Let’s face it. It’s not easy and is not going to be. It’s not possible to stay happy all the time. It’s not possible to have faith in yourself everyday. And it’s not possible to always believe in your dreams. Reality kicks in, obstacles surface and life is not as hunky-dory as we would like it. Yet, we need to stay on top of our game, stay motivated and keep aiming higher. What’s life, if we don’t have a goal, after all?
There are many useful productivity hacks, great tools and ways to make the most of your day, however our ancient seers were wiser. They knew ways to address the problem inside-out.
So let’s just start with you. Here are three ways for you to stay motivated:
Remember yourself
Have confidence in your abilities and remind yourself of your abilities every day. Why? Because it is so easy to forget them when the going gets tough. There is a larger plan for each one of us, and even if you don’t believe in it, then believe in one thing: only the best will happen to you and there is a perfect time for everything. Forget the competition and the rush of what everyone else is going. Believe in your originality, dreams and in yourself, and work towards realizing that dream. Remind yourself of your potential.
Increase your happiness and health
You are a constant factor in your life. Sounds a little strange, but it’s true. You are the main actor in your own story and the actor cannot be weak or poor in health. Fortify yourself with as much energy and positivity you can muster. Fire your passion with strength and faith. One of the easiest ways to do this is to meditate daily. It might sound simple or strange, however scientific studies have proved that meditation increases positive emotions, life satisfaction, boosts immune function and decreases pain. Meditation also helps you stay focused with concentration for longer time spans. You’re going to need all this if you’re going to stay motivated and focused. And you thought meditation and motivation are far removed?
Also, remember to eat healthy, exercise, do some yoga and breathe out stress with pranayama. Yoga and its accompanying breathing practices are natural, simple ways to detox yourself on a daily basis and look at things from a fresh perspective. You’re going to need all this if you want to stay motivated every day, so do a few quick routines.
A short meditation to relax and rejuvenate
Look long
See life from a larger perspective. Events will come and go, and so will success and failures. An unfavorable situation cannot last forever. The thing to remember is: never brood when things go wrong. Assess what can be done and quickly move to the solution. If necessary, give yourself a short timeline and treat yourself when you moved to the solution. And then be patient. Even if a solution seems hard to find - wait, be patient and keep working.
When one looks at life as a continuous flow, it’s easy to stay stable and still. And when things go wrong, this is one attribute you definitely will need.
It’s not a sudden switch that you can switch on or off. The only thing to do is to practice this daily. Watch yourself in situations - Did you just react to something that you didn’t need to? Was there something you said which could’ve been avoided? There’s no need to analyze yourself or be hard on yourself. However, just a quick look at your day and you will know. You will know when to stay on the middle path, in case you’ve swayed too much on one side.
Protip: Motivation is usually driven by external circumstances. It could diminish when those stimuli fade away. Inspiration is internally driven by the individual and is long-term. Be an inspired individual. Chances are your enthusiasm and energy will spread to everyone around. And keep giving. This is a necessary tool for growth, will motivate you to go that extra mile for another, and will inspire others as well. This also nurtures the benevolent side of you and increase inclusiveness among people you associate with.
Go ahead, be the most inspired person you know.
Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s wisdom talks
