If there’s anything that’s essential in meditation practice, that’s commitment. If you don’t commit to meditation, you would most likely forget about it when you’re tired or don’t feel like doing it. Learning to meditate is a commitment that usually won’t take place overnight. It’s a process that involves certain steps, such as:
- Understand your motivation. What drives you to motivate? Always keep your motivation in mind as it will form the core of your practice at the start.
- Set a schedule. You must stick to a plan—how long d you intend to meditate? If you promise to meditate half an hour every day, then by all means stick that plan.
- Follow through. If you’re determined enough, then you must be willing to follow through. That means tracking your progress and assessing how far you’ve gone.
- Gain momentum. Eventually, once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier and you will begin to enjoy it. Find your traction, and you will eventually race forward.
Consistency is key
Whereas exercise develops one’s muscles, meditation will focus on your emotional and mental muscles, so to speak. It will instill awareness, give you the focus you badly need, and make you a much more resilient person. This is why you need to be consistent: you must make regularity a point. As you recognize your feelings go stronger, you will be more aware of the benefits of meditation. The key here is not to fall prey to negative emotions that specifically destroy your meditation practice, such as laziness or self-indulgence. Even perfectionism can be self-defeating.
Self-restraint is essential
But consistency is not the only important trait that will make your meditation efforts successful: you also have to have self-restraint. Ultimately, this is the same formula that have resulted in the most successful businessmen and athletes, for good reason. There are a number of measures that you must be mindful of, such as eating in moderation or avoiding caffeine or tobacco. During meditation, you must always put at the back of your mind any distractions or preoccupations. This does not mean, however, that you should repress or avoid them. Welcome them as they come, but know that you have to focus on meditation. Finally, after meditation, you can use the energy to either let your creative juices flow or you can of course be mindful.
