What I am going to talk about today is that moment in our life when we feel too overwhelmed or tired or simply bored of what we had been doing for a protracted period.

This feeling of exhaustion or tiredness or boredom may result from a number of factors, some of which are: -

·         Monotony

·         Sustained degree of difficulty in what we undertake

·         Our own state of fitness or alertness

·         Age

·         Sickness

·         Emotional setback

·         Disruptions (circumstantial or intentional)

In colloquial terms, some of us may like to term this condition as ‘burnout’.  Let me admit that I am not an expert to either define or diagnose ‘burnout’. So, I will steer clear from taking on the role of a psychiatrist.

Let us not deny ourselves the fact that success is not served on the platter, and in most cases, it demands unprecedented effort if we want unprecedented results.

What we all have to accept is that quest for excellence asks for unwavering devotion and a high degree of resoluteness.

Now, when you take up the challenge and sometime later, you confront this condition that mars your progress, you need to do something about it.

Let us examine this condition deliberately. Firstly, when you are in it, it seems difficult to find a way out. Moreover, you get a sense that you have been going it alone for a long time and you need some moral support.

Let us be aware that we are all gifted with an unending reserve of energy which resides within us in multiple sachets each individually wrapped in many layers of comfort, support, self-preservation and resignation.  

Here are some instances when you might have found yourself suddenly tapping these reserves sub-consciously: -

·         When you realized that your destination was nearer than you thought...

·         When you became truly aware of the value of incentive(s) at the end of a long road...

·         When you found evidence of someone else successfully performing a feat similar to what you are attempting...

·         When the upkeep of your promise reigns higher in your mind than the pain you are going through...such as, your attempt to achieve a goal for the direct/indirect gain of your dear one(s)

·         ...and so on.

Now that you have probably come to realize some of the ‘tools’ that can help you ‘unwrap’ these pockets of energy, here are some of the generic ways you may adopt to ‘keep going when the going gets tough’: -

·         Divide your bigger task into smaller and manageable chunks of effort that you can record as ‘completed’ more often and that help you determine how much closer you are to your destination

·         Identify the perceived value addition in return of your effort. Note/list/enumerate it and constantly remind yourself of that value while working towards securing it

·         Study the field of your undertaking for similar precedents in history (but only those that were successful in the end)

·         Make a promise so noble that enables you to see gains beyond yourself at all times

I will dwell more on the aspect of steadfastness in my future post “Make a Commitment to the Whole World!” as well.

Stay tuned.