As a little kid, I’m sure you remember how adults around you whether they were family or friends paid so much attention to you. They were in awe if you recited a poem or cracked a joke. They would roar with laughter and you’d probably receive a big hug or peck on the cheek. Your little baby siblings would get applauded for taking a few steps on their own or for even being able to stand up without support.
The Glory continues
Soon you start attending school and here
too, you are in command of your own attention. Score great marks in a test and you
will earn yourself a gold star or a smiley face. The teacher would say “Great
work, Keep it up”. You also used to be admired by your school friends and
classmates. You got applauded after you delivered your speech or ended up first
in a sports race. All the same, the applause was endless.
The Sudden Death of Attention
Suddenly, maybe just about high school, the
stars fall away and further into tertiary education, the applause dies
down.
From a very young age, we were conditioned to
be applauded for a task well done. Suddenly, as an adult, you are left alone.
Succeed and no one is around to present you with a gold star. Fail and no one
is there to wipe your tears. The world we live in suddenly becomes cold and dark.
Through the years, your circle of people
may get smaller. This is no fault of yours. People move on and their priorities
change, sometimes as per the challenges they are dealing with. So don’t take it
personally when your audience is no longer there. Stop waiting for the world to
applaud you or acknowledge you.
Applaud Yourself!
No one better than you, understands your
hardship, your battles, your hard work, or how you persevered and stayed strong
all along. Stop waiting for someone else to acknowledge your battles. They will
not be able to understand your feelings and what you went through. Be your own
audience and applaud yourself. Set small goals and celebrate the accomplishment
of every single goal you set for yourself.
Break down large goals into many small goals.
Never give up. Take each small goal and break it down further into a million
steps if that’s what it takes to achieve the desired end result. Don’t let
large tasks overwhelm you. Take it one small step at a time. Each time you
achieve something reward yourself if that’s what it takes to get you started
with the next step. Journal everything stage by stage and see how your project
transforms right in front of your eyes.
Be Patient with Yourself
Rome was not built in one day and so you
too should take it in your stride and set reasonable deadlines. Don’t be too
hard on yourself. Ask for help if needed and take many short breaks than
pushing yourself all in one go, which may result in quitting altogether. During
your breaks engage in something totally different from what you are working on.
Don't Forget Yourself
Give yourself small rewards for achieving
small goals and when you achieve something big, reward yourself bigger.
Give yourself that gold star. You deserve
it!
Love you lots…
No comments:
Post a Comment