Self-improvement is crucial for success in life, whether that’s emotional, psychological, spiritual, and especially professional. At Technalink, we constantly strive to improve our business as a whole and the people who make up that business; it’s just part of our DNA.
Meditation is one way that people can bring steady, lasting change to their personal and professional lives that makes a big difference. But how do you start? Meditation is a good habit, and like many good habits, it can be challenging to develop a routine and stick to it, versus the formation of bad habits like overeating or alcohol consumption. Here are some of the things you can do to lay the foundation for developing meditation as a lasting good habit.
Have The Right Motivation
As with anything, it all starts with your own motives. If you don’t have the proper motivation for something, you’ll never do it well. For example, children who hate playing the piano will never do as well when parents force them, compared to children with a genuine love for music. In the same way, if you have no interest in meditation outside of peer pressure or being forced into it, it’s a habit that will never take.
A genuine desire to meditate stems from a genuine desire to improve. If, for example, you’re feeling unfocused when it comes to concentrating at work, or you feel that your mind runs a mile a minute and you want to stabilize that, these are good reasons. A sincere wish to improve yourself yields better results.
Start Small
The best way to approach any new hobby or behavior is not to be too demanding with yourself initially. Meditation can be conducted for very long periods, especially for those serious about it as a significant lifestyle component. This should not be you in the beginning, and it’s better to take baby steps and gradually ease into it.
Smaller “mini-meditation” sessions are an excellent way to find out what works for you and what doesn’t. It’s also a way to get in meditation sessions throughout the day, especially when you might really need it, such as destressing for just a few minutes at the office. Leave the hours-long meditation sessions for when you’ve got a greater sense of mastery.
Create Accountability
The best way to form a positive habit is to create some accountability to go with it. This may come in the form of creating a schedule that gives you a structure to stick to, or it may be having a “meditation buddy” where you agree to stick to a plan with repercussions if you don’t.
It’s easy to lose track of a good habit you’re trying to create if there is no negative consequence for not doing it. This doesn’t mean being unkind to yourself, but it does mean coming up with a cost that you want to avoid.
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Tools
Everyone is different, and so everyone may take a different approach when doing the same thing. Not everyone cooks the same way, using the same recipes and meditation is no different. There will be some who are more comfortable with the traditional approach, using classic poses and minimal assists.
However, others will get better results if they’re not afraid to enhance their experience using tools. This may be in the form of playing music or even downloading and using specialized meditation apps. There are also physical tools that can be used to assist in meditation, such as buying using mala prayer beads or garnet meditation stones.
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