In these strange times, stay centred and focused by guarding the mind

We need to ask ourselves some tough questions concerning our lives and our future in light of Covid-19. First, is how do we adjust to this new life? How do we stay motivated in light of what is happening?

Many are either out of work or working in an uncertain environment where the future has never looked more bleak. How is one expected to stay motivated under such conditions?

Just imagine a nice hot cup of coffee. If you put in sugar and leave it all day without stirring, it will not taste sweet because the sugar settled. Don’t let your motivation settle.

The mind is key to human motivation. But, there are also external and internal factors that influence motivation. We can listen or look at things that motivate us. We can also listen or look at things that will demotivate us.

Our goal at all times is to ensure that the level of motivation exceeds the level of demotivation.

Right now there is more than enough reason to get demotivated if we are not careful. For some, there are health fears, but how can you ensure that through it all, you stay motivated enough? How do you stir the coffee of your mind to ensure that it remains sweet throughout this season?

First, you must find your zone. This is the place where once you get in, you get an emotional trigger. We all have different zones. For me, reading ushers me to my zone very quickly.

I enter into my own world where the outside fades away and as long as I am immersed in the book, all my creative juices are at work and my mind is at an all-time high. A good book is like fertiliser to the mind.

Think of a farm. When you put fertiliser in the soil, it is not only what you planted that will benefit from it. Even things you did not plant will pop up. In the same way, when you read and apply mental fertiliser to your mind, it is the place where ideas will begin to pop up in your head and where all sorts of solutions will begin to find expression.

Another thing that sends me to my zone is writing. Having authored eighteen books, I just can’t stop. I write every single day. There is a kind of symbiotic relationship between my writing and reading. When I read, I get inspired and ideas flood my mind. When I write, I am forced to research and hence read more.

I also love teaching and communicating, which is why during this period I am engaged in one form or other of online training. Each person is different and will therefore have a different way of getting into their zone. Whatever gets you in the flow is personal and no one can live in it for you

Another thing that is important is discipline. You may find yourself at home more than ever before with more time on your hands. You are not on holiday.

To operate from home needs a level of discipline far greater than if you had to go to work. The office environment naturally demands some things from you but in the home setting you will have to deliberately create that environment.

Having a plan for the day even if you are at home is important. The simple discipline of finishing tasks is good for you and motivates you to do more. But, do not set unmanageable tasks that will depress you if you do not achieve them and do not also set them too low that they do not task you.

One thing that has struck me any time I read a biography is how habitual the people were. Greatness is characterised by habits. You are the product of what you routinely do.