Have you had a season in life when hardship, pain and disappointment were your constant companions? When you were confronted with difficult challenges that threatened to consume you? You faced a major loss or a tough family situation. You or a loved one was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. You lost your job or your business experienced a downturn. Creditors called and the banks wrote. The economy slipped into recession and complicated matters further. Your circumstances changed. Surreally.
Or may be life is too fast with too much to do. You’re yanked in too many directions. You feel completely overcome in mind and emotion. Your soul is battered. The whole body feels like shutting down.
Here’s how to take control again and get your life back on track:
1. Obstacles, problems and challenges may not be too bad after all. Setbacks are temporary. You get to know your measure by how you behave when in the wilderness and when you encounter hard bumps. Refuse to let yourself become discouraged. Instead, let your challenges force you to go to the next level in your life.
2. Focus on the now. Don’t dwell on where all the obstacles, problems and challenges may ultimately lead. Instead, live each day at a time. Concentrate on the here and now. Spend time figuring out what to do now and what your next step should be.
3. Stop overthinking. We spend too much time thinking about what to do, when and how, and then waiting for the perfect moment or opportunity. We get paralyzed analyzing things and situations. Result? Procrastination. Wasting time wastes your life. Any action now is better than something “later.”
4. Don’t indulge in self-doubt. When overwhelmed by life’s situations, it is easy for the seed of self-doubt to take root and germinate. Self-doubt can dampen your confidence. Be willing to take action, even when overcast by fear.
5. Avoid being too busy. We are always on the move. We move forward, backward, and sometimes nowhere in particular. Life becomes like a treadmill. The main goal of life isn’t to stay busy, but to make progress. There’s a world of a difference between activity and accomplishment.
6. Schedule time to plan. The “now” may be what it is, but you can still shape your future. Create time to get away from your usual distractions. Find a place with peace and quiet. Record all your thoughts and decide on the activities that are important to your success. Schedule time for them.
7. Do the next right thing. You’ve figured out what action you need to take. It may even be something you like engaging in; for example reading a book, or taking a walk, or watching a movie. Just act on it. This will help create momentum.
You need to remind yourself often that you have tremendous capacity to withstand stress and overcome adversity. And you can rebuild your life even after a devastating tragedy. Be resilient.
Copyright ©2015 David Waweru. Photo credit: hello, cruel world via photopin (license).
