Is This You?
Your bookshelf has a book on learning Spanish, with the bookmark stuck on page 5. A guitar gathers dust in the corner, a silent monument to a two-week hobby. You have a half-finished coding course saved in your browser tabs. You get fired up about a new goal, go all-in for a week, and then… the motivation fizzles out. You see others who are masters of their craft and wonder, “What’s their secret? What’s the one life hack I’m missing?”
The truth is, there is no hack. The secret is ancient, simple, and hiding in plain sight. It’s the least glamorous but most powerful force for change in the universe.
The Ancient Anchor
In the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 6, Verse 35), a distressed Arjuna tells Krishna that his mind is restless. He explains it is as difficult to control as the wind. Krishna agrees but gives him a two-part solution:
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते |
(Abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena cha grhyate |)
Translation: O son of Kunti, it (the mind) is controlled by practice and by detachment.
The key word here is Abhyasa—steady, consistent, relentless practice. Krishna doesn’t offer a magic spell or a shortcut. He says the only way to tame the wildness of your own mind is through disciplined effort. Repeated practice helps achieve your goals.
How This Philosophy Unfolds in the Ancient Texts
Our legends are not about overnight successes; they are stories of epic results born from unwavering practice.
First, there is the powerful story of Ekalavya. A young boy from a humble tribe, he dreamed of becoming the world’s greatest archer. He was rejected by the master teacher, Dronacharya. Did he give up? No. He went into the forest, made a clay statue of Drona to serve as his inspiration, and began to practice. Day after day, arrow after arrow, he practiced with singular focus. Through his own self-driven abhyasa, he became an archer with skill so profound. His archery rivaled and even surpassed that of the royal princes. His story proves that consistent practice is more powerful than a prestigious teacher.
Next, consider the monumental task of King Bhagiratha. His ancestors had been cursed. The only way to liberate them was to bring the celestial river Ganga down from the heavens. This was necessary to purify their ashes. This was an impossible goal. Bhagiratha undertook tapasya—a form of intense, spiritual practice—for thousands of years. He stood on one leg, surrounded by fire, meditating on the gods. His effort was so immense and so consistent that it spanned generations. Eventually, the gods relented. His story is a grand metaphor for how persistent effort, applied over time, can achieve something that seems miraculous.
Finally, think of the simple fable of The Tortoise and the Hare. The Hare was naturally gifted with incredible speed and talent. The Tortoise had none of that. He was slow and plodding. In their famous race, the Hare’s flashy bursts of effort were inconsistent. They were no match for the Tortoise’s slow, steady, and unbroken practice. He just kept putting one foot in front of the other. It’s the ultimate lesson: consistency beats intensity every time.
The Modern Disconnect
We live in a world of instant gratification. We expect next-day delivery from Amazon, instant answers from Google, and immediate validation from social media. This conditions us to expect quick results for everything. But real skill-building is slow. It’s often boring. There are no “likes” for the thousandth time you practice a guitar chord. There are no “likes” for the hundredth time you fail to get a piece of code to work. We quit during this “valley of disappointment” because we have forgotten that mastery isn’t an event; it’s a process.
Wisdom at Work
How can you harness the power of Abhyasa today?
- In Your Career/Hustle: Want to become a great public speaker? Give a small presentation in your team meeting every week. Want to be a writer? Write 300 words every day, even if they’re bad. This consistent “doing” builds your skills far more effectively than reading a dozen books on the topic. Small, regular deposits in your “skill bank” compound into a huge fortune.
- In Your Relationships: A strong relationship isn’t built on one grand, romantic gesture a year. It develops through the daily practice of small things. These actions include the “good morning” text. Another is the habit of listening without interrupting. Then, there is the shared cup of coffee before the day starts. These consistent, loving actions are the foundation of trust and intimacy.
- For Your Mental Health: You can’t just decide to be calm during a crisis. You have to practice it. A five-minute meditation practice every morning is a workout for your mind. It trains your attention and resilience, so when stress hits, you have the mental muscle to handle it. Consistency is what turns a mental health tool into a reflex.
Modern Sages
The world’s highest achievers live by this rule.
- The ancient Indian strategist Chanakya taught, “With the help of small drops of water, a pot is filled up. This is the way for all knowledge, righteousness, and wealth.” He knew that greatness was the sum of countless small, consistent efforts.
- Bruce Lee, a global icon of martial arts, made a famous statement. He said, “I don’t fear the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once. I am wary of the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
- James Clear, in his bestselling book “Atomic Habits,” has created a modern framework for this ancient idea. His concept of getting “1% better every day” shows how tiny, consistent habits lead to remarkable results over time.
- The Greek philosopher Aristotle stated it perfectly over two thousand years ago: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Your First Step
Forget your huge, intimidating goal for a moment. Instead, use the Two-Minute Rule. Whatever your goal is, scale it down to an action you can do in less than two minutes.
- “Read a book every week” becomes “Read one page.”
- “Learn to meditate” becomes “Sit and breathe for one minute.”
- “Get fit” becomes “Put on your workout clothes.”
This makes it so easy to start that you can’t say no. Do that tiny action. Then do it again tomorrow. You’re not just taking a small step. You are casting a vote for a new identity. You are starting the practice.
