No one should hope that as one’s awareness increases one will continue living the same way. The first thing a person will have to sacrifice at the altar of the desire to change himself is his leisure time. He will have to organize his life in a way that will allow certain time for daily meditation sessions and exercises. If unsuccessful, perhaps it is too early for him to start this work or he might not need it at all.

A frivolous attitude for the work on yourself produces equivalent results. Lack of attention to details results in no results. Practicing an exercise for 20 minutes daily is better than doing one hour and a half of exercise twice a week. Those who want to awake and become aware need to understand that this work takes continuous effort.

Some teachers recommend to meditate at the same time of the day, wear special clothes, listen to certain music, or use aromas. The rationale behind this is that the mind will get used to the schedule and the clothes and related attributes will create the right mood to calm the mind. Then all of this will help one reach a more profound meditation state. 

This approach might be of use for certain types of people, but I see two negative aspects here. First, once the mind finally adapts to a specific time and setting, the person may become somnolent over the course of meditation and succumb to a trance state. When returning from the trance, the person may feel refreshed and rested. But this path no longer leads to awakening. The second aspect is related to the fact that a seeker who wishes to acquire awareness will have to practice it in the course of their ordinary life where there is no advantage of concessions or favorable conditions available to him.

For this reason, my firm opinion is that the key element in working on yourself is determination. It is determination that enables a seeker to use every opportunity possible to carve out time for the practices. It is also the determination that eventually leads one to developing one’s own independent will.