Develop a strong sense of purpose

Discover your calling in life.
Start by looking for signs of primal inclinations when you were young, i.e., moments when you were viscerally pulled to certain domains or activities that feel natural and intuitive to you.

Use pain to spur yourself.
To develop new skills, embrace your limitations and painful experiences. See frustration as a sign that you’re making progress, and use others’ criticism to push yourself forward.

Find and associate with practical people with a strong sense of purpose.
Absorb their purposeful energy.

Create a ladder of descending goals.
This will help you gain satisfaction from small successes while moving toward an ambitious long-term goal.

Give yourself as much uninterrupted time with your work as possible.
Focus on the work itself, not on the potential rewards or recognition. Immerse yourself in the work so you can get into the flow state, i.e., moments when you’re fully involved in, challenged, and energized by your work.