HowtokeeponmovingforwardLIVINGALIVE

How to keep on moving forward LIVING ALIVE
by Dero Pedero The Philippine STAR 03/30/2003

There are times when we get so fed up, burned out, discouraged and completely depleted of the desire to move on with life, our job, our dreams or whatever is important to us at the moment. We seem to hit a dead end with our nose pressed against a giant, restraining, unyielding wall. We feel helpless, see no ray of hope, and feel like we absolutely have no choice but to give up. When everything signals you to stop, you must focus all your energy on moving forward. The universe just keeps on moving forward. The galaxies, stars and planets keep on spinning, revolving and busily humming their melodies to help build up the crescendo of the great universal symphony. It must be nauseating and horribly boring to be set in eternal motion yet they don't stop one bit because vibration and movement are the principal laws of the universe. When the mind slows down and the flesh gets weak, boost up the spirit. It could mean the difference between your failure and success.

Here are 12 pointers on how to keep on moving forward:

1. Always keep your goals in sight. Define your goals and always keep them in sight. The clearer your objectives, the more you'll be empowered to pursue them. Visualize the benefits you will get from achieving your goals and imagine yourself savoring their rewards. Know the value of your goals so you can chase them with greater passion and determination.

2. Keep yourself motivated. Build up an intense desire to attain your dreams and goals. Fill your heart with positive emotions that will help encourage you to work for them. Motivate yourself continuously by getting a role model and emulating successful people. Dedicate your success to someone you love or make it a vehicle to express and prove yourself. Above all, be joyful at work.

3. Reward yourself immediately after every achievement. Every time you achieve something that gets you closer to your dream or goal, give yourself a congratulatory pat on the back. Treat yourself to a nice little reward that will make you feel so good. Rewarding yourself amplifies your success and will encourage you to achieve so much more.

4. Sharpen your focus. Most people give up easily because they lack focus. Focus is the single-minded resolution to achieve your goal. Believe that you can do it; believe that you deserve it. Strengthen and sharpen your focus to concentrate your full attention on whatever you set out to accomplish.

5. Keep the momentum. When something good is happening to you, keep it going. Don't slacken your pace lest you lose your momentum. Just like operating a rotary machine, you will need a huge energy to jumpstart it but once in motion, you will just need a reasonable amount of power to keep it spinning. Don't allow things to slow down because it is harder to start all over again.

6. Don't get sidetracked. In today's world, it is so easy to get distracted from your goals. So many things are happening around you and if you don't know how to resist them, you could easily get sidetracked from what you really desire. Learn to put on artificial blinders like those worn by horses so that you only see your goal, not the tempting scenery that can divert or slow you down.

7. Burn the bridges behind you. Leave yourself no choice but to move forward. Burn your connection to what's behind you so you can never retreat. Many people refuse to plunge into the future because they are stuck in the past. They become content and addicted to the comfort that they have been used to and shun the risk of change for a better future.

8. Never look back except in gratitude. Have you heard the story of the athlete in competition who looked back? While running towards the finish line, he glanced back to check how far the next athlete was. At that crucial moment, his opponent overtook him and of course, he lost. Never ever look back except in gratitude. And make sure to always be grateful whatever the outcome of your pursuit is.

9. Keep in mind that you don't have forever. Time keeps on moving forward - it leaves the past behind, dwells justly on the now, and excitedly rushes to the future. It never stops for anyone and never even takes a break. Realize that although time keeps on ticking forever, you only have a few finite years to chase and realize your dreams.

10. Diversify and expand. Moving forward means covering more areas. Think of new avenues related to what you are doing that you can explore and use. Diversify and expand your operation; get other projects started. Involve more people who can help and support you and your vision. Spread the responsibility and share the joy.

11. Recharge your energy. Know when it is time to take an energizing breather. One of the most powerful ways to prevent stress and burnout is to take a break or a sabbatical. Travel, take an invigorating nature trip, watch an entertaining movie or show, go to an art exhibit, take a learning seminar or simply hang loose. When your batteries are recharged, you'd have energy to do more.

12. Keep on succeeding. A life of success is built one day at a time. As they say, take care of the hours and the years will take care of themselves. Be a winner all the time. And when the going gets smooth, don't rest on your laurels. Keep on adding more feathers to your cap. Success has a wonderful way of escalating if you continuously keep at it. Success breeds success!