Meditation is a great way to relax the mind.
But it also has the benefit of really sharpening it up and giving you focus.
This list is primarily to help you to achieve your goals and get out into the world and make an impact. Remember though, with great power comes great responsibility.
For a more in depth analysis, check out our How To Meditate With Purpose post.
Meditation and success in life are two things that you would not immediately imagine going together.
I would think that many people would associate mediation with a spiritual practice of finding Nirvana and reaching enlightenment after many years of disciplined practice.
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Background
When meditation was first introduced 3,000 years ago success was not what drew people to its practice, but rather a desire to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha and begin a quest for real meaning.
However the world has changed then, becoming faster and more intense. It was of course very difficult 3,000 years ago, but it was physically exhausting as a pose to today’s mentally taxing endeavors. Back then you would work hard in a field and farm and see the results of your labor every year.
Today’s work in urban environments is more esoteric and it can be very frustrating to work and work without seeing a physical object at the end of it.
But meditation has also changed! You can use mediation for all kinds of things from getting over depression to focusing your mind and achieving your goals. Remember that meditation is only one part of certain problems such as depression. Never feel ashamed talk to someone about it and always go to your doctor to get the proper care you deserve.
To put it another way, meditation can actually help you succeed in business, your life and everything else between.
If you are the type of person who defines success as making lots of money and climbing your way to the top of the tree whilst pushing everyone else to the bottom, then I would strongly advise you to read no further.
However, if you define success as being the best you can be and being able to influence others positively as a result of your new found confidence, then this post is for you my friends.
1. Meditate for a minute every day
Meditation is an incredibly effective way to get rid of the noise and distractions of today’s world. To empty the days impressions on the brain and to help to see through the haze.
You can get some pretty impressive benefits even when you do not meditate for 30 minutes to an hour as some hardcore mediators may do!
You can go for short periods of time; anything from 1 – 10 minutes if you wish. The point is to make it regular and focused.
Center yourself and let go of the frantic world around you. Focus on whatever it is you want to achieve and believe it.
2. Every new morning you wake, you must let go of yesterday
Yesterday is history, tomorrow has not happened yet [footnote]Unless in an alternate universe of course[/footnote] and the only thing that you can really influence is today. It is inductive reasoning to assume that today will resemble yesterday.
Just because you tripped over the carpet in your office and spilled our coffee resulting in much laughter and mirth at your expense yesterday, does not mean you will do that again today.
Every time you look at the rippling of the sea, you are seeing, hearing, smelling, experiencing something unique and new. Something that you or anyone else will never see again. If this is true for the sea, then why is it not true for your life?
I think that many people have a morning routine similar to myself:
- Wake up, jump straight onto our phones in the morning
- Check emails
- Find out about what has happened in the world during our slumber and to plan out the day ahead.
Why not stay in bed for a bit longer, breathe in deeply and let go of yesterday? What do you want to achieve by the days end? What do you have to do to succeed?
Give yourself two goals for the day, one personal and one professional, and think about what they mean to you.
Meditation will help you to achieve this by making more of your consciousness available for the present moment.
3. Don’t just show up to work, show up to accomplish something
Let’s be honest with ourselves here, do you really enjoy waking up, going into work and picking up your paycheck at the end of every month?
I doubt it, many people don’t and a quick look through Facebook or other relevant social media platforms suggest this with posts proclaiming a high degree of destitution when one nears the end the month!
The types of people who achieve their goals in life are not the ones who just go through the motions to receive a paycheck. When they do anything, they mean it.
If you ever feel as though you are just making money for someone else at the expense of your own life, it is probably time to have a really close look at your own life and reevaluate what you are doing.
When you meditate, you are leaving everything in life at the door. You are looking deeply into yourself and really trying to sharpen your thoughts to be able to pierce the ideas and parts of your life that are truly important.
If you actually like your job, but are just feel as though you are stuck in a rut, think about the ways that you can climb up the ladder, perhaps by taking a proactive approach to your work and suggesting new ideas and so on.
Be the first person who arrives in the morning and the last person to leave. Go in and win at your job. Whether you are at the bottom of the pile or top, make sure everything you do is the best you can do it.
If you’re unable to find passion in your work, then it it is probably time to look for somewhere else to work, or even to begin some kind of training to help you get the job you want.
4. If you are exhausted, take a moment and breathe in deeply to regroup
Keeping the passion alive and the fire in your belly burning is what winners and successful people do; even if the world is constantly dealing you band hands. When you find yourself exhausted, don’t just up your caffeine intake and try to use coffee as a miracle juice. Stop, inhale deeply a few times, and take a moment to yourself to regroup.
If you are sitting in the office and feel as though you are about to collapse into your keyboard, remember the first point and try to utilize it.
You can even be siting at your desk. Just breathe in and out. If you are worried about looking strange with your eyes shut, then you can just pick a point in front of you and breathe in and out.
When I am in public and I do not want to draw attention to myself, I like to imagine breathing in fresh blue air deep into my stomach and then have it mix with the black, poisonous air that is causing me issues. I then breathe out that black air and watch it wither away as it hits the pure oxygen in front of me.
Understand that sometimes exhaustion can play a large role in creating unwanted stress in your life. Overcome that with a moment of quiet, tranquil reflection and block out the white noise from all around you.
You will really get moment of realization about why you were doing what you were doing, from which you can use as a stepping stone to move forward productively.
How Can Meditation Help in Achieving Personal Goals?
Meditation can significantly contribute to achieving personal goals and benefits of meditation. It helps in enhancing focus, clarity, and self-awareness, which are crucial for setting and pursuing goals. Additionally, regular meditation practice can reduce stress and anxiety, improving overall well-being and mental resilience, which are essential for achieving any goal.
5. Remember what the most important parts of your life actually are
My beautiful baby girl, Emily
In order to achieve true success i.e. to be exactly where you want to be in life, you are happy, and your life has meaning and fulfillment; you must remember what is actually important to you.
You must also never forget that you are never trapped and you can always change the path you are on. This may involve pissing some people off, it may involve causing massive upset, but you are never trapped.
Unless you are in prison of course. In which case meditation can help you to come to terms with what you have done and help you to move on in the world. Meditation can also be a mental escape from the monotony of prison as well as life in general.
It’s OK to worry about something. It’s OK to be aware of the potential risks and downsides. But it’s not OK to think those fears are the truth.
As Will Smith said in the film After Earth:
Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice
Remind yourself that it is only you that can direct your life, your job, your career to wherever you want them to go. When facing an issue, you have a choice. You can worry about the past and the future, or think about what is going on right now in the present. What can I do right now that will improve my life and those around me?
This is where meditation is a fantastic tool. By regularly practicing and improving, even if by 1 or 2 minutes every morning, you will start to feel a renewed sense of satisfaction with your life and the present moment.
Conclusion
I know several people very close to me who cannot either get away from the past, stop imagining a future that has not happened yet, or some who are an unlucky combination of the 2.
I strongly recommend mediation as a method to remove from your thoughts, events of the past and conceptions of the future.
One of them is unchangeable, and the other has not happened yet. You can always change the future and change it for the better.
Meditation can center you in the present. It can help you to ignore what cannot be altered. It can make your mind a calm oasis of logical thought.
Meditation will help you to achieve your goals and give you the kind of life that you have always wanted and deserved.
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