Category: Lifestyle and personal growth

Consistency is the buzzword at the Paris Olympics 2024. Every athlete from anywhere in the world owes their success to the persistent hours when, they practised alone, with no one to watch, acknowledge, or support.

Just like the athletes, each one of us has a dream to be an improved person—we seek improvement in terms of health, knowledge, emotional intelligence, skill set, and other attributes.

Reading, meditating, learning, and similar self-development activities feature in almost every person’s to-do list, but you seldom put a tick beside them.

You realize that these activities are non-urgent but important.

And due to procrastination, lethargy, distractions, and busyness, you fail to devote time to them.

After a few months, you stop trying to pursue, and after a few years, you give up completely, and they don’t show in your to-do anymore.

But imagine the situation where you would have worked on those tasks!

You would have been a different person today!

By working consistently on self-growth, you become a different person. You acquire a personality where you are more confident and accomplished.

How do you move from giving up to taking up self-growth tasks?

Here is a 7-step method –

1. Set small goals daily

2. Fight hard against your moods, and make sure to start

3. Once you have started, ensure you spend minimal focused time on the task

4. Before you end, compare how you fared as against yesterday

5. If you were on par, be happy that you maintained the level

6. If you were better, feel proud of the progress

7. If you were poor, try giving some more time, such that you match the previous level

The last point looks senselessly pushy but makes all the difference.

You have to tell your mind that you are not engaging in its stupid games, and you will continue to pursue come what may.

You have to show your mind that you are stronger than it.

Soon, you train your mind, and it stops tampering and interfering, and that’s when you share your stories of consistency with others, just like the Olympic athletes.

I practice yoga every day. Saurabh Bhotra, the co-founder of Habuild, said in one of his sessions – “Your breath is the bridge between the outer world and the inner world.”

I tried following it, and yes, it works miraculously.

Whenever –

– You are overwhelmed due to work

– You are in a space of stress

– You have met with an untoward incident or

– You are facing a life-and-death situation

Your mind is in complete chaos, and you want to grab, hold on, hoping that someone will help.

But the current world scenario is such that everyone has some s–t to handle.

In such difficult situations that are common, bring the control back into life by breathing deeply.

Inhale and exhale. What does it do?

– It energizes your weary soul and tired mind

– It distracts you from emotions like anger and remorse, considered normal on rough days

– It keeps you from futile discussions that provide temporary relief

– It restores faith in the future

Let us delve into a little bit of science.

According to the Yale School of Medicine, our body has a vagus nerve that starts from the base of our brain and reaches the other organs.

In stress situations, this nerve gets activated reflexively, which increases our blood flow and prepares our body for quick protective action. It triggers the fight-or-flight response.

However, scientific observation of the diaphragm proves that the vagus nerve can be reset by deep breathing.

Slow, even breaths that originate deep within the abdomen stimulate the vagus nerve in a way that signals safety and cues our bodies and minds to relax, restore, and release chronic patterns.

I did not wish to give a lengthy post/article on managing stress.

This simple practice makes you powerful enough to deal with difficult situations.

The above works best for me, but I would love to know how you manage.

Please post it in the comments and add value to the idea.

P.S. – The mention of science reinstates the logic behind the practice.