To succeed in life, one needs to understand and master the key principle that makes any work, even the most routine, inspiring: the striving for perfection.
Very often people do a certain job out of necessity, losing their inspiration and sense of dignity in the process, and this in no way nourishes the soul. A common misconception about simple, humble work is to regard it as insignificant and unworthy of attention, which also leads to a loss of inspiration.
So, to succeed in life, one needs to understand and master the key principle that makes any work, even the most routine, inspiring.
A person thinks about their "special purpose" — that somewhere there is an inspiring purpose and inspiring work at which they will "burn bright." But only a mature personality is able to find its purpose. And maturity consists in finding a way, while doing any routine work, to motivate yourself and make that work absorbing. Thanks to the right attitude, such a person's brain releases the "happiness" hormones: dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin. And the person is then motivated to do any work better and better.
What can you do to make any work inspiring?
You need to approach your work creatively and develop a system that lets you hone your skill day by day. Every day you should set yourself a goal for that day: to do it faster, more precisely, more perfectly, finding something new in your activity every day. You also need to cultivate the principle of understanding that an action is right and needed, and to concentrate fully on that action.
One of the ancient Tantric secrets of success is the need to direct all the energy of the mind toward attaining perfection in what you do.
What does this mean? It means that, whatever work you do, however humble, you do it more carefully, and each time you yourself become better, better and better. If a person reaches such an attitude to work, they stand out strongly from everyone else with their liveliness and ability to "burn bright."
So, to succeed in life, one should follow an important principle — the striving for perfection.
On perfection
When a person approaches perfection, they approach Cosmic Consciousness. A person may take up any kind of activity that is worthy from the cosmic point of view — martial arts, karate, sword fighting, aikido, boxing, the fine arts — and attain perfection in it. Making enormous efforts to reach the point of perfection, a person changes: they begin to radiate vibrations that attract others, becoming a charismatic, extraordinary, magnetic personality. Extraordinary magnetism elevates a person; they become noticeable, and life lifts them up.
Thus the key to success lies in learning to do any work perfectly, even the simplest and humblest: to wash dishes perfectly, sweep the floor, plane a board, using a certain system and without spending much time on it.
I remember my experience of working in a bakery. There was a lot of work. The first thing I did was study the baker's craft. When I had mastered the system and reached the speed required by the standards, I began to optimize it and improve it, to increase the speed of my work. My days went by like magic: you are boiling, bubbling, sparkling like a sparkler, and everything comes out beautifully. As a result I managed to do the work of the day shift and of the manager, and to look after the shop, and I had three days off and loads of free time besides. And the products came out practically perfect. In this way I fulfilled myself as a baker. — *Dada Sadananda*
How to attain perfection in your activity?
When you set about a particular task, you need to tune yourself to do the work as well as possible — think through every step and make it as efficient as possible with the least expenditure of time. With this approach you enter a flow of energy in which you hardly get tired. And it doesn't matter whether you have a skill in this work — any skill can be acquired in a short time. To succeed in a particular field of activity takes longer.
Our action, too, is Supreme Consciousness, so treat what you do with reverence. Perform as many actions as possible! And it is very important to be aware that you are doing karma yoga, and in the process of attaining perfection in action, God — Supreme Consciousness, Supreme Bliss — begins to manifest; and therefore you gain charisma, magnetism and personal strength, which will inevitably lead you to success. So the principle of striving for perfection can be called the guarantee of success in life.