We were never promised that this life was going to be easy, but does everything we do have to be so hard? If you feel like you keep hitting obstacle after obstacle and can’t seem to shake the blues, you’re not alone. Things don’t always have to be so difficult but how do you keep yourself from hitting those brick walls? Here are some reasons things could be out of control, and more importantly, how you can fix them.
- You’re not organized. Being organized or not can greatly effect your productivity. It’s not as easy to conquer the world or tame the universe when you’re surrounded by clutter and chaos. Being unorganized creates unwanted stressed and makes it difficult to concentrate. It’s almost a sure fire way to make sure that your schedule won’t run smoothly. It’s much easier to forget or misplace things which can cause you added stress because it may cause you to run late. All of these habits can result in suppressed creative flow and your ability to problem solve. In unorganized spaces the smallest tasks can become challenging because you’ve got to muddle through your space. You may not ever become the poster child for organization and neatness but you can take some small steps to make a difference. Start figuring out what works for you and eventually you will find that you’re accomplishing much more when it doesn’t take you hours to find the simplest of supplies.
- You’re overwhelmed. This is easy to do when you start taking on more than you actually have time for. I know that I tend to get excited about new projects or volunteer opportunities and take on more than my schedule can hold. As a result you can have several projects running at the same time and before you know it you have more than you can concentrate on. You’ll find yourself spreading your attention over several things at once and none of your projects will get the benefit of your full attention. Do this for too long and you’ll find that you have no motivation left and it is replaced by anxiety from being overworked. If you keep doing this, your work will only be done at percentage of your skill. Stop and take an inventory of where you are. Get your priorities in order and work from that list. Stay focused and don’t add anything onto your list until you’ve tackled everything that you need to. Learn to say no or at the very least learn to say later so that you can manage your time more effectively and avoid having to figure out which project you should be working on. Trying to figure out where to start will save you time and will help you get more work done.
- If you don’t like what you’re doing it stands to reason you won’t thrive while doing it. If you have to do these things, it’s ok, but don’t resign yourself to just getting by. We inevitably exchange something that was supposed to be a temporary fix and put our dreams on the back burner for a the safety net that the miserable work may offer. If you’re spending your time doing those things that aren’t your passion you’ll never feel satisfaction and fulfillment and this means you need to take the steps to figure out what your passion is, and then find a way to follow it.
- You’re not taking enough risk. You’ll never know what you’re capable of if you’re always playing it safe. It doesn’t mean that you don’t need to take precautions or do your research while weighing your options. It does mean however that you need to take a chance every once in a while. You have to be willing to venture out into the unknown even if it’s just to see what happens. Aks yourself if the reward outweighs the risk and if it’s worth it to you. If these risks are moving you towards the life you really want then what can be worth more than that?
- You’re too serious. Sometimes we can make life seem more serious than it is. Yes, life can have some pretty serious moments but it’s not meant to be lived under a rain cloud. Learn to relax. Loosen up. Have some fun to help you forget about those serious moments that could be weighing you down, even if it’s just for a while. Don’t worry about whether or not you look silly or what others will think. Get out there and have some fun.
- You’re stuck in a rut. We may be driving ourselves crazy dreaming of new adventures and doing great things but we keep clinging to the bubble of predictability that is our reality. Our lives can become too routine. Day after day we can find ourselves doing the same things over and over again is it any wonder that we have a hard time creating change? Try shaking things up, even if it’s just in a small way. You may find that taking that small step can snowball things into effect and can get some exciting things into motion. Try going to work early instead of just on time. Turn off the TV and spend that time learning something new. None of these changes will bring about a huge change in your life, but spicing up your life with small change is just like anything else you have to practice. The more you do it, the easier it will get and eventually you’ll find yourself walking an entirely different path.
So grab a pen and a piece of paper and start making a list of ways you can apply these tips to your every day and hopefully it wont be long before you notice a change not only in your attitude and mood, but your day to day living.
Leave a Reply