Moving Forward In My Journey From Square One

Hey, life isn't easy! And we all know it. In fact, it can push someone back to square one- something that most don't expect, and for all, their biggest nightmare.

And I found myself standing helpless in it.

Back to square 1; Drowning in my worries, fear, and anxieties.

I thought I had the perfect dreams, the perfect-route to my destiny, all figured out, only to realize that I had it all wrong, filled with miscalculations.

All this time, while stuck in my misery, I used to think:

"I wish someone was there for me."

"Someone will come and rescue me from this mess, will understand me, and give me the best advice." (NB: Of course, there are friends and family to help, but sometimes you feel misunderstood and wish for that "someone" to find, understand you completely, and rescue you.)

"I don't think I can do it anymore by myself. Everything is a nightmare!"

Hey, hey, hey! After years of being in my "back to square 1" phase- I realized I wasted all my time trying to figure out my way forward using unrealistic wishes and desires.

At the end of the day, "someone will come and rescue me from this mess magically" never happens (Unless you are that lucky 1% in the world).

Lesson learned:- The truth is that no one will rescue me. It's me who has to be there for myself.

Genuine well-wishers will accompany you only as much as they can. The rest of the journey out of "square 1" depends on you.

I wish I had realized this sooner. But, in the end, there's a set time for everything in this universe, and I think self-realization is one of them. It'll dawn upon you when the clock strikes the right time, I guess.

So, now being aware of the fact, I thought, how do I self-motivate myself? I need to get out of this box. I need momentum in my life.

"Is there a "Perfect-Formula" for self-motivation?" I wondered.

Here's how to know it:

Step 1: Switch the laptop ON.

Step 2: Wait for a few seconds.

Step 3: Open Browser.

Step 4: Google "How to self-motivate?"

And there you go! Hundreds of articles will come up in the search result, along with similar search terms below the page such as "Self-motivation techniques", "Self-motivation articles", "types of self-motivation", and "how to self-motivate in an unstructured environment".

Endless articles to read!

So I clicked on a few links on the first page of the search result (Didn't go beyond it. Read:- No patience!), reading through the top-ranking articles, trying to find the magical solution.

Here's what I understood after reading a few of the articles from page 1:

In short, if someone wants to succeed in achieving a goal or more, they need to be self-motivated, and it plays a vital role in their success.

So...

People can push me only as far as they can. But the "achievement" part is on my share (Yep! That's what I realized!).

And some of the things I'd need to do:

Break A Goal Into Smaller Ones (Mini-Milestones)

It is to make the dream attainable. Anything huge can seem intimidating, so there's a high chance that one may end up losing their focus and skid away from their journey towards the big win. In a nutshell, one step at a time towards winning! (Cool! *Jots down real quick* *Need to do this from now on*)

Get A Supportive Company

This.Is.So.True.To.Every.Word and I recently realized it (I guess I'm on the right track finally!). I think I already implemented this in my life. Sometimes there are haters disguised as well-wishers, who would do their best to demotivate you with their smiles (their actions say otherwise), and secretly spew their venom all around you. And, I finally understood why I lagged behind all these years. It took me so long to understand who is cheering for me and who is dragging me down. Better late than never! No, I'm not technically blaming anyone. It was my fault that I should have recognized them and cut them out for good. It's better to have a supportive friend or two, compared to a large circle. However, it's crucial to find out if "that particular friend" is a well-wisher or not. Having a supportive company helps one stay on track, as they help to remain motivated and stay focused on the goal.

Take Enough Rest In Between

Working hard is a must to succeed. But, if we don't take a bit of rest during our journey, we'll burn out sooner or later; Ultimately, straying away from the track. Well, it looks like I need to take a deep breath and step away from tea and sleepless nights. Plus, anxiety makes it super-difficult. But you got to do what you got to do! After all, slow and steady wins the race! (The story of the rabbit and the tortoise, anyone?)

And... I shouldn't forget to strike the iron when it's hot!

Celebrate The "Mini-Successes"

Hey, but I still didn't reach my actual goal?! It's all right! According to these articles, setting up measurable tasks will help us to focus better on our aim. Also, it'll help to stay inspired to achieve further goals, reaching the final one in time. When we accomplish a small goal, we feel happy and look forward to the rest ones. (All right, I like this one! I'm going to create a list of goals (and break them into sub-tasks) to accomplish and definitely getting whole lotta' Bounty chocos to reward my mini-wins! *wink*).

Okay, I think these will do. But now there's another question, "What if" I feel overwhelmed even though I'm on track?

It happens, I guess.

I remember waking up countless mornings, hoping to start the day as it is on my time-table, but, in the end, I lose my focus and repeat the cycle.

It's fine!

I'll keep pushing myself until I get out of this box. If one day doesn't work in my favour, another will!

Every day I make sure to check out inspirational quotes, with my newsfeed filled with these.

What I learned: It's okay to take some rest. It's all right to start afresh. Repeat as needed. However, it's not okay to give up!

But...

Never quit! Ever!

I think I've crossed out all the boxes in my "self-motivation checklist", then what's stopping me?

Perhaps, self-doubt and fear?

I guess it's time to take a leap of faith. Life's like a box of chocolate. If one opportunity slips away, another will come. If one door closes, another one will certainly open up. That's hope!

It's hope which keeps us going. I'm going to entwin hope and self-motivation together.

Every morning gives all of us a new chance and a hope to succeed, to take us one step closer to our dreams.

And this is what I'm going to use to move forward, out of square one, hopefully.