DO YOU TAKE BREAKS ON WAY TOWARDS YOUR GOALS

THE UNAVOIDABLE SERIES OF DISTRACTIONS:

Covid 19 has broken the back of many hard-working people. A few days back, a young couple was with me for counseling. They have been putting in a lot of hard work but their challenges were never-ending. Over and all, the pandemic has worsened their condition a step further.

On critical examination, I found that:

1. 1. He was working in a bank for the last 7 years but lost his job during the first wave of the pandemic when he avoided attending his duties for a few days in the fear that he may catch the Covid 19 infection.
   2. With an understanding that it will be difficult to get a job under pandemic conditions, he started his own marketing business. After about 4 months when his business started giving him good results, he planned a major renovation in his house as this was long overdue. As such he could not pay proper attention to business in the next two months. During this time he skipped his business activities for a few days intermittently.
   3. As he suffered some loss during these two months in the business, he became serious and put his best efforts in the next four months and made his business profitable once again.
   4. Then a marriage of his close cousin was decided and he remained busy for about three weeks in marriage ceremony and arrangements. He could hardly give some time to his business. As a result, the business again dropped down.
   5. His wife was never in favor of a business. Therefore she suggested that businesses are never certain and therefore he should again search for a job. So he searched for a job and found one in an online educational institution. The salary was also good, so he closed his business.
   6. But then came the second wave of pandemic and his brother-in-law caught Covid 19. Therefore he went with his wife to attend him at a place which was about 250 km from his place. As such he applied for a leave of 3 days but could return only after 10 days. When he returned back to join his duties, the Company informed him that his services are not required, now.

And, now he was totally confused about his future life. He was not sure as to whether he should go for a job or take up his previous business again. The reason was that he had bad experiences in both, job as well as business. Also, he had a fear that whatever task he takes up now, he may fail again. He believed that life will remain tough and challenges will continue to emerge, one after the other. His faith in God started diminishing.

ONE IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS:

Friends, a critical examination of this case will reveal that the young man has talent. He had served a bank for seven years successfully. In his business also, he got positive results in a short time, twice, when he worked seriously.

Then, what is the reason for his frustrating life? In fact, he could not win over the small hurdles of life. In a hurdle race, you must keep running after crossing one hurdle after another. If you take a rest in between, you can’t win. In life also you must work consistently without fail till you reach your goals. You can’t take a rest. Challenges will come and will take you off track. That is to say that God is taking your test. Somehow,  you must learn to overcome challenges and make continuous efforts.

Consistent efforts are extremely important in life. Just recall the simple example of a hand pump. You keep pumping, pumping & pumping. And when the water is about to come out, you get tired and leave. What will happen?

MY OWN CASE:

I learned the lesson of consistency long back when I was a school student.

My own result for the Xth standard was quite discouraging. And, my admission to engineering college was dependent upon my result in XIth standard. For that one year, I could think that I am not good enough for engineering studies and give up. But a small decision that I took with encouragement from my father changed my life. He observed that my study pattern was not consistent. Some days I used to do study for long durations. But on some other days, I used to have excuses. My father advised me to break this pattern. Therefore, during this one year, I studied hard without a break of even a single day. The time I put in for studies each day was recorded in a diary which I possess even today. When I look at this diary I find that I made consistent efforts for that one year, each and every day. And guess what. My name in the admission list of about 300 students was no. 2. The lesson I got was: Consistent efforts always pay.

HOW TO BRING CONSISTENCY OF EFFORTS IN LIFE:

There cannot be any step-by-step process to follow for bringing consistency in efforts. It is just a mindset. If a person decides to achieve something and plan his actions which must be performed essentially; but is dragged away by small impulsive disturbances, will fail to achieve his goals. But this will not remain just one case in his life. He will make another goal, but due to his habits, he will repeat the same process again and again. In this way, he shall have several stories of failures and will ultimately decide that he is meant for just an average life.

On the other hand, if he learns to persist, learn lessons from his failures, and continue making efforts on a consistent basis, he will achieve his goals. Not just one goal; one by one, his several goals. This way, the difference in his lifestyle will be much better and more exciting compared to that when he surrenders to circumstances.

FEW GUIDELINES:

A few guidelines are, however, given as follows:

1. 1. Write down your goal and corresponding action plan. Commit to someone whom you respect or value in life that this is what you are going to achieve and how.
      https://thelifeuddeshya.com/dream-big-set-goals/
   2. Write down expected disturbances. Most of the disturbances can be predicted in advance with careful thought. Prepare a plan to overcome those disturbances. Thus you will be ready in advance to tackle those challenges.
   3. Learn to postpone something. Decide, what you are going to postpone. It can be: reading newspapers, magazines or novels; weekend parties, watching TV, movies, gossip with friends, giving more than required attention to children, spending time & money in keeping the home beautiful, spending time in fights with others, etc.
   4. Remember: Great deeds can only be done with great sacrifices. If you want to achieve something big, then you will have to let go of the small pleasures and celebrations today. For example, if you want to enjoy the beauty of Switzerland in a year or two, you may have to postpone your yearly trip to a hill station, this year. This is called delayed gratification and must be practiced religiously till you hit the target.
      https://thelifeuddeshya.com/postpone-something/
   5.  Have a Coach, Guide, or Mentor who is already successful in that specific field and take his / her guidance and follow it strictly.

FOLLOW THE SEINFELD STRATEGY:

• The most important action that you must take is to follow the Seinfeld Strategy. Jerry Seinfeld is among the most successful and top-earning comedians, writers, and actors of his generation in America. Once he was asked by a young comedian about the secret of being successful. Jerry asked him to take a big wall calendar having the entire year on a single page and hang it at a prominent place in the house. Then put an “X” mark on all those days when he has taken action towards his goal. This should form a continuous chain. The chain must not break.

You don’t have to be an expert in what you do, but, the chain must go on. And, that is consistency: the secret of success.

TAKEAWAY:

Friends! Whatever you want to achieve in life, it can become possible. You don’t need to be an expert in it. Neeraj Chopra, Bill Gates, Meera Bai Chanu, Mark Zuckerberg, Sachin Tendulkar or Jeff Bezos were not experts in their fields from day 1. The common ingredient in each of them was the consistency of efforts in their chosen endeavor. And, believe me; every successful person has this trait.

Let us decide today to be consistent and make continuous efforts so that our yearly calendar has “X” on each and every day.

Dr. Lokesh N Rai

P.S.: Did you find something useful in this post? Please offer your comments in the comment box. Send your email id for a free consultation.