Time never stops for anyone. We get old all the time though we may only focus on reversing our aging or arresting the deterioration of our health at certain times in our lives.

Things get dirty all the time by default. But we only do cleaning intermittently, not all the time. Things are in constant motion in this universe. Human beings can either rise up in the upward spiral of improvement or when we do nothing, go down this same spiral. Nothing is stationary or constant.

There is a constant negative and impeding force working against our self-improvement. If we do nothing to improve ourselves, our higher pursuits in life simply degenerate. What’s a resilient strategy to ensure we keep going up the evolutionary spiral and improving continuously? We have some answers based on our experience as meditators.

So where does one start, knowing how challenging continuing self-improvement can be?

Self-Discipline? Too hard to keep up for life and all by ourselves.

Planning? Yes, but ever heard of “Man proposes, God disposes?”. Stuff happens and things get in the way. Plans can change and leave us disappointed when we aren’t able to achieve them.

Hard work? Sure, but how do you ensure you stick to doing hard work all the time?

A laser-like focus on self-improvement? Making it a priority in your life? Okay, but how can we keep ourselves motivated all the time?

Turns out that after a lot of distilling, the things we’ll recommend for a realistically achievable and sustainable self-improvement journey are defensive strategies after all. Meaning, you use them to stay afloat, hang in there. To not give up. To get back up on your feet when you’re down.

You may do many great things, but these strategies are there for you when you don’t or can’t. Resilience and immunity against failures are as important as success strategies. Most of the time, not falling sick or being able to recover quickly is more valuable than the miracle cures.

1. Be Persistent

Simply put, this means, “Stay on track, no matter what.” Imperfect plan or tool for self-improvement? No problem, try something else. Lacked self-discipline and gave up on something? Don’t worry, just keep to your singular goal of getting to a better state intact and take the lessons learned next time.

Trying hard but not making progress? Accept it and wait patiently till you figure out why. But don’t compromise on your self-improvement. You’re going to get there, you’ll figure out how eventually.

Being persistent is having no doubts about where you want to be and staying the course. You may not even work towards it at times and take a break, but this goal is always there at the back of your mind so you’ll come back to it. It’s one of your ten commandments.

You don’t question or doubt it ever.

2. Be Stubborn

This strategy is specifically for keeping negativity at bay. Few people realize that negativity is always working round the clock, even when they’re asleep. And it’s working on us, inside us and around us. The only thing that can prevent you from deterioration is to not budge from pursuing continuous improvement. Don’t give an inch for negativity to either stop you or move you in the opposite direction.

Visualize a rock or mountain. It is impossible to reckon with and virtually indestructible. It won’t move. That’s how you need to be with negativity and negative forces. Refuse to cooperate with them.

You may lose the fight sometimes or the battle. But you’re never going to let them win the war.

So, keep looking, and watching for how it works, how it tries to get into your attention and suggest harmful scripts. Like, “Self-improvement isn’t important” or “It’s okay to go in the wrong direction.”

You have to establish a permanent bond with positivity. This is non-negotiable.

3. Be Relentless

This strategy takes it one step further by developing the killer instinct within you. But in a positive way and against negativity.

Don’t just work on methods, strategies and techniques for making your life better, go after negativity with a bazooka. Or at least, that should be your tenor and attitude at all times. Even if it knocks you down, grind your teeth, get back up and make a resolve to kill it the next time around.

Squash those negative voices, think of them as the weaklings within you. Tame that ego, think of it like the problem child in you and reprimand it all the time. When a crisis occurs, don’t just try to resolve it. Stay determined to trace the root cause of negativity and obliterate it, so next time, this crisis will never occur.

Yes, this strategy requires a rationally aggressive attitude and bent of mind.

If you thought meditation was all about being calm and nice at all times, that just doesn’t work. It isn’t for dainty darlings.

Self-improvement through meditation as the primary vehicle in life requires aggression towards negativity, in a controlled, mature fashion. It doesn’t mean you yell at or hit people who cause trouble for you. It means that you take serious steps, so you don’t get affected by it and rise above pettiness, temptation and mundane things.

Adopting These Strategies as a Meditator

1. Get started with finding your Inner Self through meditation.
2. Make a resolution that you’ll meditate every day, no matter what gets in the way.
3. No one is perfect and neither are you, so persist with your meditation despite the ups and downs.
4. Be on the lookout for negativity – inside you and around. Squash it, don’t try to reason or worse, let it influence you. If you find negative people around you, convey positive views and solutions firmly to them. Move on and away if they don’t agree, they’re just not worth your time or attention.
5. Stick stubbornly to your meditation and clearing routine – even if you think or someone else says you don’t need it. Decide not to give even an inch or the smallest crevice or opening for negativity to enter you.
6. Develop a relentless attitude – you have one life to make the best of it by gaining the highest of all pursuits – spirituality.
7. Don’t be harsh on yourself if you make mistakes or make no progress. Remember that you’re persistent, stubborn, and relentless and will eventually win.