You’ve just failed to achieve something that you have aspired for. Maybe it’s a test or a job or even love. You’re now at a juncture, with two paths for you to consider:
- To sit and moan about it, but do nothing to change.
- Bounce back in life.
The reason you are reading this itself indicates that you are part of the latter category. Here are simple ways to bounce back in life, whatever might have been your hurdle.
1. I CAN do it, And I WILL
This is, beyond doubt, the first thing you need to tell yourself, every single day; maybe even the first thing every single morning. Waking up reinvigorated, reinforce to yourself, “It’s a brand new day. There is so much for me to do, and now is the time. I can neither change my past, nor my future, but I shall act today and shape my future.”
2. Chalk out your plan
For anything that you want to achieve, be it a skill, passing a test, getting a job, losing weight or learning to drive, you need a plan. Chalking out this plan is your next step; this has to be based on your goal. Talk to experts, refer to relevant resources and read books about the goals that you want to accomplish. Come up with a plan as per your timeline and goals, the resources that you possess, and most importantly, your strengths.
3. Modularise your goal
Breaking down a significant task into smaller chunks always helps. It fosters self-belief and keeps the next goal in sight. Keep up your plan for a week and then break it down further to a daily level. Let’s say your goal is running a 5K marathon in the next month. Then your plan could look something like this:
- 1st week – run 3 times a week.
- 2nd week – run every day with short water breaks after every 8 /10 minutes
- 3rd week – Work on managing my breath
- 4th week – Practice and more practice (there’s no substitute for dedication).
- D-Day – Achieve what you’ve worked so hard for!
4. Tomorrow never comes – Keep track of your goal
The biggest mistake you could make is to think you have time. Before you realize it, all your time is gone, and oh so quickly. Unfortunately, time is the one resource we cannot conserve. Procrastination is addictive, and you will get better at it with each day that passes. Your backlog of tasks will keep growing each day, and to such an extent that one day, it seems unachievable and you have to abandon it. Bhagavad Geeta (an ancient scripture on how to live life) says – “your soul is your greatest friend as well as your biggest enemy. The real doer is your mind. Make it a habit to work to finish your target for the day. This becomes the base for building your confidence and belief in self.”
5. Celebrate your small wins – Feel happy and confident about it
Reward yourself for sticking to your plan, achieving progress day by day. Getting yourself on the track is easier than keeping you there. Check your progress on a periodic basis; you may not be exactly where you planned yourself to be. As long as you are within 10% of your planned progress, you’re good. Rewarding yourself for the progress made gives you the confidence and assurance to say, “I have made it till here and I have been consistent in my progress. I will make it.”
6. Be that deaf frog
Many of you would have heard about the story of the frog which climbed to the treetop while most of the other frogs kept shouting that it was impossible to reach the tree top. The reason it was able to reach the top was that it was deaf. And by not listening to all the negative comments, it was only focused on reaching its goal.
This applies to anyone, keeping one’s mind clean and positive is very important. If you keep listening to what people around you say and seek their approval, then you will never be able to progress. Our mind uses the sense organs to receive information and process it. What we see, hear and whom we choose to be around is a major contributor to our thoughts. Hence observing who you spend time with, is very important to keep you on your path. It’s always good to have friends whose company keeps you motivated.
7. Avoid distractions, keep your eyes set on the goal
The formula for success in this age is the ability to focus and cut down on distractions since all of us are force fed information every minute via social media and all the other channels. However, the authenticity and relevance of all this information are a huge question mark. All the media have very catchy or sensational titles to grab your attention. This reduces our attention and memory span hugely. Continuing from the previous point, what you take inside determines your thoughts. Keep a watch on how are you spending your extra time. Keeping oneself limited on social media and Whatsapp is essential for success. Better not to be there at all, but the next best option is to limit yourself. The question then arises, how else do I relax? Go for a walk, talk to your friends (you have real ones too!), or even go play outdoors. Do something that gives you happiness. You may feel left out, not knowing what’s happening in the world outside during the initial days, but there is, nothing worth knowing that appears exclusively on social media. Eventually, you will get to know what’s important to you.
8. Don’t compare yourself to others
Your life is yours and you can never swap it with anyone else. Remember the best of resources may not necessarily bring the best results; it’s the ones with the best attitude and motivated minds that come up with the best results. You are the master of your life and no one else can make it better other than you.
9. Work on your weaknesses, don’t run away from them
Everyone is unique and has their own set of strengths. Some may know how to portray their strengths in the better way, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any strengths. See what you are good at and leverage on that. Work on your weak areas with more dedication to improve it. Running away from the problem will only make it bigger, and it is better to confront it and deal with it once and for all.
10. Reflect on where you started and how far have you come
Finally, reflect on where you started and how far have you come. It’s amazing to see what hurdles have you crossed to come where you are today. It’s by your determination and dedicated effort you have come here, and it doesn’t happen by luck or accident. Waiting for things to happen hasn’t brought you here, your efforts have. Ultimately, you will achieve your goal and your dream will become a positive reality.
There is no better day than today to start your journey. Stay happy and positive, that’s a great vitamin for your mind.