One of the major problems when you set out to accomplish something that requires work and practise is "staying motivated." (I'll admit that it has become a problem for me many times.) At first you're tremendously enthusiastic and excited, but as you work to accomplish your goal, boredom and uncertainty set in. Will I really ever get what I want? Will I ever finish? Is it all going to be worth it? It seems like a lot of work... You are tempted to give up.
What can you do to overcome this? One of the best things is to rejuvenate your initial enthusiasm. Think about the tremendous excitement you initially had, and the reason for this excitement. You were excited then, why can't you be just as excited now. Actually, you can be. Think again about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow -- the reason you got excited. Go over it in your mind. Get excited about it again.
There's no doubt that it takes a tremendous amount of practise to become skilled at anything, and if you are to become accomplished, the practise can become tedious and tiresome. To avoid this, the best thing is to keep your eye on the objective.
Repetition and practise are two of the most powerful forces in the world. Only through them can you develop tremendous skills. Accept the fact that they are a necessary part of what is required for attaining these skills. When you get tired and bored, get stubborn: think of perfection. Rather than thinking about quiting, think about how you can practise better. Think about how you can do things even better. Think about what you can do to make things more perfect.
Persistence is the key. Don't let anything stop you, and don't give up. Everyone experiences boredom and uncertainty. Don't let it get to you. Give yourself little "peptalks." Tell yourself that "you can do it," "you're feeling great," "you're going to accomplish what you set out to do," and so on. It's amazing how effective little peptalks can be.
Barry Parker Website BarryParkerbooks.com
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Enjoy the "Good Times"
All of us encounter both "cloudy" and "sunny" days. That's how life is. Some days you feel great and have no problems, but on other days nothing seems to go well and you feel on the verge of depression all day. It would, indeed, be great if all days were "sunny" ones, but this isn't the way things usually work out. There will, however, be some "good times" and when they occur you should savor them, in other words, make sure you really enjoy them. And as for the "cloudy" days ... well, there are ways of getting through them.
One of the things about this up-down existence is that the good days seem to fly by, whereas the bad days seem to drag on forever. What can we do about this? We can, indeed, do several things. The bad days will go faster if you keep reminding yourself that they will end, and that tomorrow will be better. A good thing to do when things look bad is smile. It may be difficult to do, but I can assure you that it will help.
One of the main things that brings on bad days is problems or frustrations, and the best way to get through them is to face them head-on. Ask yourself. "What is causing the problem and what can be done about it -- right now? Think it through, and do whatever it takes to put it behind you.
Problems are usually not as great as they seem at first. Even if they don't have a single solution, consider breaking them down into simpler problems and tacklng them one at a time.
Yes, bad days are inevitable, but it's important to remember that you will get through them. And even more important, you should enjoy the good days. When the sun is shining and everything is going well, we frequently take everything for granted. But you should sit back occassionally and really enjoy the moment. Think about how lucky you are.
Too often people dwell on their problem, but there are always positive things in your life that you should be thankful for. You may have your health. Thank God that you do. In later life, when your health has started to deteriorate, you may look back and say, "I was sure lucky when I was younger ... I was healthy and had very few problems."
You may not have any financial worries. Again thank God that you don't. One day you may have some. And with the current economy and the high price of gas, that day may be closer than you think.
Visit my website at BarryParkerbooks.com. My book "Feel Great Feel Alive" has some more suggestions for feeling great every day.
One of the things about this up-down existence is that the good days seem to fly by, whereas the bad days seem to drag on forever. What can we do about this? We can, indeed, do several things. The bad days will go faster if you keep reminding yourself that they will end, and that tomorrow will be better. A good thing to do when things look bad is smile. It may be difficult to do, but I can assure you that it will help.
One of the main things that brings on bad days is problems or frustrations, and the best way to get through them is to face them head-on. Ask yourself. "What is causing the problem and what can be done about it -- right now? Think it through, and do whatever it takes to put it behind you.
Problems are usually not as great as they seem at first. Even if they don't have a single solution, consider breaking them down into simpler problems and tacklng them one at a time.
Yes, bad days are inevitable, but it's important to remember that you will get through them. And even more important, you should enjoy the good days. When the sun is shining and everything is going well, we frequently take everything for granted. But you should sit back occassionally and really enjoy the moment. Think about how lucky you are.
Too often people dwell on their problem, but there are always positive things in your life that you should be thankful for. You may have your health. Thank God that you do. In later life, when your health has started to deteriorate, you may look back and say, "I was sure lucky when I was younger ... I was healthy and had very few problems."
You may not have any financial worries. Again thank God that you don't. One day you may have some. And with the current economy and the high price of gas, that day may be closer than you think.
Visit my website at BarryParkerbooks.com. My book "Feel Great Feel Alive" has some more suggestions for feeling great every day.
Monday, May 5, 2008
We All Need ... A Little Inspiration
I always get inspiration from thinking about Einstein when he was young. I've written several books about him and his theories and yet as I look over what he achieved during his lifetime, I'm still impressed (and inspired). Although he eventually became a famous scientist, he didn't have an easy time of it when he was young.
One of his first disappointments came when his family decided to move to Milan, and he was to be left in Munich to finish high school. He was depressed when they left and soon had problems at school; things got so bad, in fact, that one of his teachers suggested that he leave the school. This wasn't a problem for him,though, as he was quite eager to go, and he soon did.
Needless to say, his family was surprised to see him when he arrived in Milan, and they were disappointed that he hadn't finished his schooling (he was still only in grade 10). He promised, however, to take the entrance exams at a nearby university in Zurich, Switzerland. And a few months later he took them -- and failed. The problem wasn't his marks in math and physics -- they were excellent -- but he hadn't studied anything other than them, so he didn't do well in most other subjects. He therefore had to go back to high school, but after a year in a school at nearby Aarau, he was admitted.
Although there was no question about his brilliance, Einstein wasn't a particularly good student. He preferred to study on his own, and frequently skipped classes. As a result, when he graduated, he ranked 4th out of 5. Furthermore, he had argued with several of his teachers, and found it difficult to find a job. In fact, he searched for almost two years without success.
It's interesting that during this time he also tried to get his doctorate and submitted his "Special Theory of Relativity" as a thesis, but it was rejected because no one could understand it.
This was the low point of his life. He had no job, no prospects, and to top it off, he had got his girlfriend pregnant. But he was persistent, and within a few years everything had turned around quite dramatically,and he was soon one of the most famous scientists in the world.
Visit my webpage at Barryparkerbooks.com
One of his first disappointments came when his family decided to move to Milan, and he was to be left in Munich to finish high school. He was depressed when they left and soon had problems at school; things got so bad, in fact, that one of his teachers suggested that he leave the school. This wasn't a problem for him,though, as he was quite eager to go, and he soon did.
Needless to say, his family was surprised to see him when he arrived in Milan, and they were disappointed that he hadn't finished his schooling (he was still only in grade 10). He promised, however, to take the entrance exams at a nearby university in Zurich, Switzerland. And a few months later he took them -- and failed. The problem wasn't his marks in math and physics -- they were excellent -- but he hadn't studied anything other than them, so he didn't do well in most other subjects. He therefore had to go back to high school, but after a year in a school at nearby Aarau, he was admitted.
Although there was no question about his brilliance, Einstein wasn't a particularly good student. He preferred to study on his own, and frequently skipped classes. As a result, when he graduated, he ranked 4th out of 5. Furthermore, he had argued with several of his teachers, and found it difficult to find a job. In fact, he searched for almost two years without success.
It's interesting that during this time he also tried to get his doctorate and submitted his "Special Theory of Relativity" as a thesis, but it was rejected because no one could understand it.
This was the low point of his life. He had no job, no prospects, and to top it off, he had got his girlfriend pregnant. But he was persistent, and within a few years everything had turned around quite dramatically,and he was soon one of the most famous scientists in the world.
Visit my webpage at Barryparkerbooks.com
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