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Stick to Your Goals in the New Year: An Interview with Swamiji

As we complete the second week of the New Year, how are you doing on your New Year’s goals?

Personally, it is about this time when I begin to waiver from my goals, doubt if they are achievable, and, to be honest, give-up on them.

This year though, I decided to be proactive and do something different! Rather than throwing in the towel ten days into the New Year, I requested some time with Swamiji to get his insights on how to stay inspired, how to overcome obstacles, and how to keep going in spite of failures.

Read below Swamiji’s advice and apply this wisdom to keep yourself moving forward in 2014!


Swamiji, what should we do when life’s obstacles threaten to detract us from our goals?

Swamiji Says:

Inevitably life throws us curve balls. The challenge is to keep yourself focused. The easiest way to do this is to positively affirm your goals, and do it frequently.

Swamiji-1-300x218For example, you could have a list of your goals next to your bed-stand. When you wake up in the morning, review the goals and visualize accomplishing them.

In the evening, re-read those same goals and think through how the activities performed that day supported, or moved you closer, to your goals.

You could also put the list on your refrigerator door or even near your computer at work. If you are a student, you could put them on your desk and review them occasionally during a break in study.

Remember, the more often you remind yourself of the goals, the easier it will become to make them manifest.

I understand. The approach you suggest makes a lot of sense. However, I seem to get discouraged especially if I falter. It’s like the dieter trying not to eat sweets, but after eating one cookie, suddenly the cookie jar is gone! How do we keep from getting discouraged?

Swamiji Says:

The smallest of activities, accumulated through time, will support your goals.

swamiji-2-300x343The key to moving your life forward in the direction of your dreams is to keep yourself mentally positive. In other words, stay away from self deprecation and don’t get attached to your failures.

If you falter, become aware of it, accept that it has happened, and mentally move yourself back into alignment with your objectives.

Develop the attitude that just because you got side-tracked a few times, does not mean that you will let that happen again.

Please remember this key concept: your future is directed by the momentum built at any given moment. This means, we always have the opportunity to create the changes in our lives and to build the future of our dreams, and it can happen in a moment!

A small change can put you in a new direction. Keep going and don’t focus on the negative!

Swamiji, my goals involve breaking some bad habits and replacing them with better habits. This seems to be very challenging. Will it ever get easier?

Swamiji Says:

It does get easier! It gets easier with time provided you stick to your resolution.

Swamiji-3-220x268Behavioral scientists have found that it takes about 30 days of consistently stopping a bad habit before it takes permanent hold in your life.

Likewise, it takes about 30 days of consistently performing a new habit before it is permanently engrained.

Once the changes are permanent, you no longer have to think about them. They happen automatically.

Stick with your resolutions! You will find that after a month, they will no longer be challenging and they will become part of your regular daily activities. It is at this time that it gets a lot easier.

I am finding that my New Year’s goals may have been a bit too ambitious. Should I rework them?

Swamiji Says:

I always monitor progress and make the appropriate adjustments. If the goal is too ambitious or too unrealistic in the near-term, it can cause a situation where you give-up on it all together. This is the wrong answer!

swamiji-4-300x299One approach is to keep those ambitious goals, but to extend the time-frame for accomplishing them.

We do this by breaking down the tasks required for accomplishing the goal into meaningful, realistic steps that are achievable. This approach has several advantages.

First, you are pointing yourself in the direction of your vision.

Second, you allow yourself to feel good about your progress because you know the smaller steps are achievable.

Third, you have not given up on your ambitious goals just because you feel, at this point in time, that they look too ambitious.

I am a big believer in the power of faith. If you believe in yourself and have faith and trust in God, you can accomplish things beyond your imagination!

I wish this for you all!

Namaste!

Join Online Satsangha

Click HERE for online satsangha with Shree Maa and Swamiji. Class is held every day in the morning and evening at 7:30a (PST) and 8:00p (PST).

Miss a class or want to stream them on your devices? Please click HERE.

Jai Maa!

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  • Home
  • About Us
  • What’s New
  • Ways to Worship
    • Cosmic Puja Presentation
    • Goddesses
      • Annapurna
      • Chandi
      • Durga
      • Gayatri
      • Kali
      • Lakshmi
      • Lalita
      • Saraswati
    • Gods
      • Ganesh
      • Hanuman
      • Krishna
      • Navagraha
      • Rama
      • Shiva
      • Vishnu
    • Gurus
    • Mantras
    • Philosophy
  • Spiritual Life
    • Astrology
    • Cooking
    • FAQ
      • FAQ Deities
      • FAQ Festivals
      • FAQ General Philosophy
      • FAQ Scriptures
    • Presentations
    • Sanskrit
    • Spiritual Business
    • Stories and Articles
    • Travel
    • Wisdom on Relationships
    • Yoga
  • Free Classes
    • Video Classes
      • Introductory
        • Shiva Puja
        • Durga Puja
        • Ganesha Puja
        • Guru Gita
          • Guru Gita – 2013
          • Guru Gita – 2006
        • Ramakrishna: The Nectar of Eternal Bliss
        • Swami Purana
        • Tattva Jnana 
      • Intermediate
        • Annapurna Sahasranama
        • Bhagavad Gita
          • Bhagavad Gita – 2013
          • Bhagavad Gita – 2006
        • Gayatri Sahasranam
        • Hanuman Puja
          • Hanuman Puja – 2006
        • Kashyapa Sutra
        • Lakshmi Puja
        • Lalita Trishati
          • Lalita Trishati – 2013
          • Lalita Trishati – 2006
        • Pronunciation and the Chandi Samputs
        • Satyanarayan Vrat Katha
        • Sundar Kanda
      • Advanced
        • Aparajita Stotram
        • Chandi Path
          • Chandi Path – 2010
        • Cosmic Puja
        • Devi Gita
          • Devi Gita – 2013
          • Devi Gita – 2007
        • From Birth to Death: Sixteen Initiations
        • Kali Puja
        • Rudrashtadhyayi
        • Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna
          • Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna – 2006
    • Video Excerpts
    • Podcast Commentaries
      • Introductory
        • Bhuta Shuddhi
        • Ramakrishna Series
        • Sadhu Stories from the Himalayas
        • Sandhi Puja
        • Shree Maa on Gurus
      • Intermediate
        • Bhagavad Gita
        • Lalita Trishati Stotram
      • Advanced
        • Chandi Path
        • Devi Gita
        • Devi Yajna
        • Five Fires Sadhana
        • Kali Puja
        • Rudrashtadhyayi
        • Sahasra Chandi Yajna
    • Podcast Chanting
      • Introductory
        • Durga Mantra
        • Ganesha Mantra
        • Mahamrtyunjaya Mantra
      • Intermediate
        • Hanuman Puja
        • Lalita Trishati Stotram
      • Advanced
        • Advanced Shiva Puja
        • Chandi Path
        • Cosmic Puja
        • Rudrashtadhyayi
        • Sundar Kanda
    • Swamiji’s Bhava Videos
      • Puja Techniques
      • Sahib Sadhu
      • Shivaratri Q&A
      • Swami Ramkripalu Visits
      • The Story of Two Men and the Prostitute
  • Shree Maa Sings
    • Shree Maa Sings (audio)
    • Shree Maa Sings (video)
    • Shree Maa Bhava Videos
  • Our Store
  • Get Involved
    • Contact Us
    • Devi Mandir Facebook Page
    • Continuing Education Credit
    • Sponsor/Donate
    • Food Sponsorship: Devi Mandir Food Program
  • Other Languages