How do you motivate yourself?  For some people motivation flows naturally like a river. For others it is an elusive element in their lives. One thing I have learnt is that no matter how hard things get and in times of great need, it is often the words of others that can trigger a spark in you that can kick start your motivation and allow you to bounce back.  A blog post by Srini Rao (www.theskooloflife.com) has done just that for me. His post “Tips for Navigating the Waters of Life” is a tremendously inspiring and no nonsense look at dealing with life’s challenges. Below is a summarized version of the key points in his post.

Instincts

• Your instincts are almost always right
• Your instincts are the higher self speaking
• If you go against instinct you are likely to land yourself in a complete mess

 Be Wary of the Steps You Take

• If you decide on something, be absolutely 100 per cent sure you can see it through
• Know when it’s just time to bail out when you feel you can’t manage it

Be Present

• Don’t worry about getting ahead of others, focus on what you are doing right now – play your own game
• Be present and the rest will take care of itself
• Being in the present will allow you to achieve peak performance
• Don’t focus too much on the future and don’t get caught up in the past, this is a recipe for mediocrity

Erase Failure and Get Back Up

• You’re ability to deal with failure and setback will determine whether or not you have what it takes to achieve what you are truly capable of in your life
• Often the second wave of opportunity is better than the first so don’t beat yourself up. Your friends are on their first wave of opportunity
• If you keep critiquing yourself with others then you are likely miss out on the second wave of opportunity which is often better than the first

Be Patient

• There is no need to live life 100 mph, just slow down because you will get where you want to go much faster and you are less likely to suffer a setback

Small is Better

• Don’t make gigantic leaps because it is the small things in life that make the big difference and you will spend less effort for more results

 Timing is Important

• Take advantage of opportunities that may not be present in the good times.
• Tough economic times often drive people towards innovation and breakthrough and this just happens to be timing at work

Wave Selection is the Key

• The key to success in any area of life is dependent on the choices you make so choose wisely
• Catching the right wave will enable you to catch one wave after another
• Choose the wrong wave and you will have to endure a hard time and work extra hard to pull your head out of the water

Laugh and Smile Everyday

• The age old saying, ‘laughter is the best medicine’ is still true
• It is a medicine that you won’t find in any pharmacy and costs you absolutely nothing

Srini’s analogy of viewing life’s opportunities and chances as waves provides a fresh and sensible way of looking at life.  This may be the only success principle you need to follow. It has certainly allowed me to look at life from a different perspective, and it may do the same for you too.

Photo credit:  vagabond9