Stepping Stones For Success

To succeed in any project, assiduity and tenacity are two things with count most, writes Sripriya SatishWhen walking, walk. When eating, eat.This famous quote of Zen philosophy reveals a lot about assiduity or having complete focus on the job at hand. Throughout life one encounters several tasks that are vying for one’s attention. The person who is able to prioritize and give attention to a single job, shrugging off the urge to focus on the others, stays well ahead in the race to achieve success. To stay assiduous you need to be tenacious or determined. The converse of this statement is also true, which implies that assiduity and tenacity go hand in hand.A classic example of assiduity can be attributed to Arjun, one of the five Pandavas, in the Mahabharat. When asked to shoot the eye of a wooden bird by Dronacharya (the teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas), the rest of the pupils focused on many other things like the tree, the branch, their guru’s feet, apart from the target set to them. However, it was Arjun who could strike the eye in a single attempt and win the challenge. The extraordinary focus which he had on the current task played a huge role in putting him on a winning streak.Just like separating the grains from the chaff, we must know how to segregate distractions from our goal by utilizing the mind like a sieve. Tenacity and assiduity are like guiding torches to put us on the right track.Another classic example of a person who showed tremendous focus and dogged determination to succeed was Walt Disney. He who went on to create some of the famous cartoon characters that history has ever known, had a string of failures before he came to the limelight. His success can be attributed to the remarkable diligence and tenacity with which he faced his life, removing the unwanted chaos on his path to success. Labelled as unimaginative and loaded with debt during his initial years, his relentless focus on the work at hand proved to be a miraculous savior. Had he been a ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’, the world wouldn’t have got to know Mickey Mouse.‘One thing at a time and that done well’, is a golden rule which can be practiced systematically by following some tips. While clubbing more than one work at the same time may seem to give more productive results, in reality, it does not!Tips to Focus:- The Pomodoro TechniqueThe Pomodoro technique was a method developed by the French scientist Francesco Cirillo to help the wandering mind to focus. Here is a skeleton of the technique designed by him in the late 1980s.Prioritize the workThe work at hand can be divided in to small chunks and it should be first decided as to which one amongst them will be done first according to its level of importance.Set up realistic goalsAnalyzing our speed to complete a small chunk of the work can go a long way in setting up realistic goals. Giving some cushion time for deadlines can improve our concentration level to a great extent.Plunge inAfter doing the necessary groundwork, plunge into the task at hand and never get carried away by distractions until the prioritized work is complete. Here, tenacity has to come into play to help us stay focused for at least, say, 25 minutes.Reward yourselfAfter every stage of task completion, it is a good idea to take a short break to keep the mind relaxed. Listening to music, a short walk or doing whatever pleases you can go a long way in conditioning the mind for accomplishing the next work segment.The above technique, if followed faithfully, is sure to yield productive results. Focussing the mind can come through practice and diligence. Yoga and meditation can also train the mind to concentrate to a great extent.Assiduity and tenacity can be regarded as stepping stones for success. Come on folks, let us embrace assiduity, the other face of tenacity, to scale great heights in life.