Question: But then I spend my whole time trying to keep my physical awake and I don't really meditate.

Sri Chinmoy: Why do you want to meditate for half an hour or two hours? Why can't you meditate properly just for ten minutes? If you say, "Oh, I only have to meditate for ten minutes," already you will have some joy. When the child is supposed to read for an hour, if the mother says, "All right, my child, today you only have to read for ten minutes," already the child is happy. Lethargy, sleep and all these things come because interest is lacking. If interest is there, sincere interest, there will be no sleep. When a student wants to be first in school, when he has a real, sincere interest, then he studies. But some students say, "All right, if we pass the examination that is more than enough." In that way they go on without any energetic drive. So what you should do is always try to be energetic. How? If you feel that you can't meditate for half an hour, no harm. Meditate for ten minutes. Then you will feel, "Oh, only ten minutes. Easily I can do that." If your goal is very limited, then you will give it all your energy. If it is two hours, oh God! You feel that to keep running at the same speed is impossible. But if it is ten minutes, anybody can meditate for ten minutes. So, first you relax yourself with the idea that the goal is within reach. If you have to run twenty miles, then you are scared to death. But if you see that the goal is within sight, then you say, "Oh, I am seeing it. Let me run."

From:Sri Chinmoy,The meditation-world, Agni Press, 1977
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/mw