Guest Post: Take Control of Your Future
Many people live their lives just coasting through time. Change is scary and the unknown is intimidating, so people try not to rock the boat and accept the status quo. Does this sound like you or how you approach life? What if you learned a better way to live that helps you take control of more desirable future?
Don’t Dwell in the Past
The one thing that holds people back from living their dreams and controlling their future is a memory of the past. They dwell on mistakes or bad things that have happened, perhaps struggle to believe that there is more for them. Just because something negative happened in the past does not mean that it will always be that way.
The future is bright and full of possibilities. Instead of using your mistakes in the past as a beating stick, use them as a learning experience on how to create better choices, outcomes, options in the future.
Dream Big
Do not be afraid to dream big and make grand plans. If you could live your best life, what would change? If you could design your life so you are happiest and feel fulfilled, what would that look like?
Visualize your dream life. Some things to consider are:
- What do I really want? (journal that EVERY day for a month and see what emerges)
- What job would I be working?
- What does an ideal day consist of?
- What people will be in my life? Where do I need to create a boundary?
- What will give your life purpose and meaning?
Using these questions as starting points, carefully consider your preferred priorities and how they will take precedence in your life.
While you may think that dreaming is just for fun, your dreams can become reality. If you visualize your future and truly want that life, find the motivation to create change. Instead of just letting life happen to you, take control of your future and work toward making your dreams real. Ruminating on the past repeats the past. Envisioning a clear future draws you towards people, opportunities and circumstances reflective of that vision.
Keep Changes Small
Even though your dreams are big, it is important to keep the changes small. Break down your dreams into smaller, more achievable steps. Not all goals will be broken down into obvious steps. A common goal is to lose weight or be healthier. This is easily broken down into smaller steps that include eating healthier, setting times to work out each day, developing habits that turn into beneficial routines, etc. Find a win in the moment by asking, is this what I really want (to eat, to do, not to do) or is it because the rut of yesterday is taking over? Over time, these small steps will build up into achieving the ultimate goal.
Some less obvious goals may be getting into a health relationship with a significant other or making a million dollars, there are less obvious ways to break it down. Get creative with how you make small changes by finding mix and mingle events and commit to attend them. Start knocking on doors or make cold calls to expand your client base and sell your products.
By keeping changes small and intentional, you can warm up to change. Making small changes over time is the best way to ensure the changes last.
Control Your Future
When you design your life and take control of your future, anything is possible. Become a more active participant in your life and gain confidence. You can make your life whatever you want with small daily wins that create change over time. If you are interested in learning more about how you can achieve your goals and live your dreams, learn more about the Pamela Shaw method to goal setting and habit formation! As Pam says, ‘You can’t live a perfect day until you design what one looks like.”
