“The real difficulty is always in ourselves, not in our surroundings. There are three things necessary in order to make men invincible, Will, Disinterestedness, and Faith.”
— Sri Aurobindo
Do you remember the last time a passion project of yours failed? Maybe you wanted to make art, learn a new subject, or start a business. The failure was mostly because of one of three reasons.
You had faith in the project’s potential but lacked consistency in effort. Or you put in the effort but were not devoted to work. Or, you had will and devotion, but they were directed towards money, recognition, and status. This, in turn, fueled “hatred, blind excitement, or hasty forcefulness that led to evil reactions.”
Now, invert the above points, and what you get is the simplest and most effective formula for success: Devote yourself to a project that you want to do for its own sake. Then, you won’t need research, facts, or logic to tell you what’s right; you will be able to feel it. Any failures will become the stepping stone to success. And nothing will be able to distract you from your work.
Such sādhanā isn’t just the simplest formula for success but also for freedom from the chains of misery.