It’s normal to feel uncertain about where your life is going from time to time — it happens to the best of us. Sometimes you’re going to doubt yourself, but when that doubt becomes crippling, it’s time to take control so you can get back on track. If getting your act together seems impossible, follow these steps:
- Stop going out all the time. When I say stop going out all the time, I mean stop drinking so much. Do you often wake up the next day after a long night of drinking and feel empty (not to mention physically ill? If you’re using alcohol as a coping mechanism or as a way to make your life more exciting, it’s time to stop.
- Stay worrying about what everyone else is doing. Social media makes this one almost impossible, so you’ll just have to make a concerted effort. Instagram pictures and Facebook statuses fluff make people’s lives look more exciting than they really are. If you feel like you don’t have an exciting life, it’s only because your standards are unrealistic. You have a great life and you don’t need to post it all over the Internet to enjoy it.
- Make lists to get your priorities in order. Organization is key! If you haven’t ever sat down to make a list of your responsibilities and priorities, then you’re doing it all wrong. It helps to visually what’s on your plate, what you need to accomplish and to understand and define your goals. Even if you aren’t sure what you’re trying to accomplish, writing things down is always a start.
- Cut the toxic people from your life. Stop hanging out with crappy people. The friends you choose to spend time with influence the rest of your life and could be having a huge affect on your motivation and overall perspective. Make sure to evaluate who’s right for you and who’s just bringing you down.
- Stop living beyond your means. Money is one of our biggest stressors, and the lack of it can easily lead us to feel like our lives are out of control. Spending less in general and setting and sticking to a real budget will restore your sanity and put you in a much better place. That doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself from time to time, but you need to live within your means.
- Find a job that actually challenges you. Are you working a job that you dread going to? Find something a little more challenging and enjoyable. A better job will give you a greater sense of accomplishment and purpose in your days (plus it can help with the whole money situation).
- Stop ignoring your problems and start facing them. Ignoring your problems isn’t going to make them go away. By facing your issues and feelings head on, you can start to relieve your stress and anxiety and make some headway on fixing what’s broken. Make a plan and put one foot in front of the other — even baby steps are progress.
- Rationalize your fears. What exactly is it that you’re afraid of? Are they rational? Do they even make sense? While it may seem impossible to think about your fears logically, doing so could just allow you to conquer them when you realize that they’re pretty unlikely to happen.
- Take control of situations rather than being a bystander. Nothing will make you feel stronger than being a leader, so be the problem solver and speak up more. It takes a lot to voice your opinion when you aren’t sure if it’s the right one, but it pays more in the end when you realize it actually makes a difference.
- Increase your intelligence. Start spending your time doing things that will make you smarter because that is what makes the difference between a successful person and a failure. Reading books, taking online classes, watching documentaries and even traveling will give you more insight, life experience and confidence.
- Embrace the things that make you, you. You’re the only you out there, so you might as well embrace it. It doesn’t matter what others are doing or what society defines as the perfect image, because you’re it. It doesn’t get better than you and no one will ever top the person you’re truly meant to be.
