Acharya Prashant explains that the ability to sustain great effort and endure the associated pain is entirely dependent on the purpose behind the action. One cannot put effort towards just 'anything' and expect the process to be sound and healthy. The 'why' behind the effort is paramount. Using the example of a gym, he notes that the high dropout rates are because people often do not truly know why they are there. This lack of a clear purpose leads to demotivation and a loss of energy, which is why gyms try to lock customers into long-term memberships. The solution, he suggests, lies in having a compelling and beautiful goal. When such a goal exists, it is the goal itself that energizes you, keeps you on track, and makes it impossible to quit. This principle applies to all aspects of life, including resolutions, relationships, and careers. Most resolutions fail because they do not arise from deep inner clarity but from external influences. We are often 'swept in' by one wave of influence and 'swept out' by another, leading to a life that is random and lacks an internal anchor. Acharya Prashant questions whether our desires and even our lives are truly our own if they are dictated by external influences. He describes such an existence as a 'random life' with no root in the within, suggesting that in this state, 'we are not even alive.' He connects this to the Vedantic teaching where the ultimate Truth (Satya) is equated with the Self (Atma). If there is no unconditioned Self within, then one's entire life is based on falseness. He concludes by stating that if you don't feel like going to your workplace, it's because it is not truly 'your' workplace; you have just landed there incidentally. Similarly, relationships fail because the choice was not made from a place of clarity, but was like being 'drugged and wedded.' Without a solid inner center, which he calls the 'I', we live in a perpetually drugged condition, unable to sustain meaningful effort.