Life is not a 30-day sprint.
To build something sustainable and enduring requires daily practice over the long arc of time.
We may start out with enthusiasm and vigor, but it’s easy for boredom to set in, especially when you’re not seeing results.
How do you sustain motivation and effort over the long term?
It’s certainly easiest when you see signs of progress. But such signs can be elusive, even if we know what progress looks like.
Persisting with something for extended periods of time is one of my hallmarks. Some highlights:
- 18 years training the sport of flying trapeze
- 13 years training in trampoline
- almost 9 years of daily workouts
- over 6.5 years of daily meditation
- over 4.5 years of daily blogging
One of the most frequent questions people ask me is “how do you keep it going?”
I’m tempted to chalk it up to my sometimes obsessive personality. Also, my Taurus sun — symbolized by the stubborn bull — lends a hand here, as does my Mars in Pisces in my 6th house of work and health rituals.
But I don’t want to disclaim any responsibility here. I show up every day to do the work.
Here are 3 strategies that have helped fuel my persistence:
(1) Detach from Expectations
The Buddhists say that expectations, and even desire, create suffering, and I have found this to be true.
Expecting something to proceed a certain way, or expecting a certain outcome, is a recipe for disappointment and disillusion.
To keep things going, it’s essential to detach from any expectations about outcome or process. Let go of what you think it might look like at the finish line or along the way.
(2) Celebrate the Wins
Progress is the ultimate motivator. It’s easy to keep going when you feel a sense of progress. So find ways to feel it when you experience it. Anchor in that feeling and let it support you in showing up.
(3) Cultivate a Love of Process
Learn to love the process of doing as much as what you hope to get out of it. Ultimately, you will find that the journey is the destination, and this is where the meaning is. Or, as I like to say: the juice is in the journey.
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