Are you feeling lost, numb or adrift? These two steps may help right the ship.
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You’re a man on a mission, right? You have the ambition, you have the drive, and you even have a plan. So, why aren’t you totally pumped? Often, we think that if we only knew what we wanted then the rest would just fall into place.
What we don’t always realize until we’re in the middle of something, is that we don’t know exactly how to do what all is needed or for how long. Sometimes we even lose sight of the original reason we’re doing what we’re doing in the first place.
If you lose sight of your purpose, it’s hard to keep on. If you know what you’re doing but you have no idea why, it can feel like a dream fading into a foggy mist. Maintaining purposeful intent isn’t as easy as it sounds. Why? There can be several reasons.
- Life gets in the way. Our other responsibilities can take over.
- We don’t know some of the details of every step.
- The appeal of what we’re doing loses its luster when faced with the mundane tasks that are involved.
We don’t know why we’re doing this because the original reason no longer exists or is important to us.
Clarity and confidence matter most and create success in all areas of life.
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So, what’s the fix? Gain clarity and you’ll create confidence. Clarity and confidence matter most and create success in all areas of life. Follow these two steps and see an increase in your happiness level.
- Ask yourself what made you start with this in the first place. Next, evaluate, is that purpose still being served?
- Be truthful and ask yourself how capable are you? Do you know precisely what needs to get done and how to do it? The more you know, the more capable you’ll be and feel and that creates the capability/confidence loop, which perpetuates forward movement.
Case Study:
Larry had a beautiful wife and four beautiful kids, all under the age of 10. Even as a self-proclaimed surf rat, a beach bum type, he was the sole provider for the family. Larry claims he was under constant stress from working long hours at two jobs for years. Consequently, he and his wife grew apart. After a decade of marriage, she left and took the kids with her. Now he sees his children every other weekend and a month during the summer. Initially he kept working the two jobs to keep busy because he hated coming home to an empty house.
When asked what made him take on such a taxing workload in the first place, his answer surprised himself. He said it was his wife who had pressured him to provide a level of income that would allow her to stay home with the kids. He confessed he valued free time more than the extra money, and so quit the job that was the least interesting.
Along the way, as you roll with the punches, things change, people change, circumstances change.
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The job he kept involved work he loved at a dive shop. With the owner, he arranged to take on running scuba diving excursions, something he had always dreamed of doing. When he started this, he had to have a mentor until he was capable of doing everything himself. Learning how to do all aspects of his new position boosted his confidence, which in turn enabled him to become a mentor himself. Now Larry reports feeling very happy with life, something he said he previously thought wasn’t possible.
Have you been in situations similar to Larry’s? You come up with a plan you feel is the course to take to lead you to your goal. Along the way, as you roll with the punches, things change, people change, circumstances change. So, examine is the original reason you are doing what you do still valid? Larry decided his wasn’t and adjusted his sails; maybe you will want to do the same. Then see if your abilities are creating that capability/confidence loop that took Larry to a level of happiness he hadn’t yet experienced. Considering these two steps any time you feel off track could very well what you need to take you to happiness.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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Great article some times we get put into a place and we have no choice and then we kinda scramble to find what we need. 2008 economy when down time to get busy 3 kids wife camper enough money for 3 months
that was all i had with my ADHD brain I went into survial mode 70 boxes of cereal and a camper, that can keep milk cold and other cheap stuff eggs etc. No matter what life throws at you (DO NOT GIVE UP) Think about this if you give up how will you know what could have been.