Collaborative Post
There are certain “waypoints” in life that we all pay attention to, and orient ourselves towards, as a way of judging whether or not we are on the right track, and are being successful in all the ways we desire to be.
Of course, the particular waypoints that you might be orienting your life towards could well be somewhat unique to you. As a general rule, though, these concerns will tend to include things like finding the lowest rate in order to buy a home, proposing to that special someone, having kids, starting your own business, et cetera.
Of course, having these sorts of “targets” or “goals” in your life can be fairly stressful in and of itself, because it drives you to always measure yourself up against your ideal, and push yourself on even when you’re feeling disheartened. Of course, no one likes the feeling of failure – or the threat of it, either.
Here are a few tips for reaching the waypoints you want in life, so that you can remain on the right track.
Get clear about what you actually want, and be totally committed with your intentions
The first thing that you need to do in order to actually reach those meaningful life waypoints, is to clearly define them and understand exactly what it is you really want out of your life as a whole.
If you only have a vaguely-defined idea somewhere in the back of your head about what it is you want to achieve and get done, your odds of actually managing to achieve the thing are exponentially lower than they would otherwise be.
Let’s use the metaphor of a journey and a map, here. When you have a clear map that tells you where you need to go in no uncertain terms, you can actually progress towards your destination reliably, even if there are setbacks, mishaps, and wrong turns along the way.
But if your “map” barely contains any details at all, if you lack the equipment to orient yourself, and if your destination is something vague and foggy, then the odds that you will actually reach a point where you feel content and accomplished are not great.
Once you have clearly identified what it is you want to achieve, you need to get totally committed with your intentions, too. You can’t give yourself permission to take the journey half-heartedly. You’ve got to get up and go, and keep going, and want to arrive.
Utilise the power of routine and habit, to help you rather than hurt you
What really is a “habit?” Well, at least in one sense, a “habit” is what happens when your mind and body partially “automate” a process or action that you perform on a regular basis, so that it requires less energy, less concentration, and less willpower to carry out than it otherwise would.
Accomplished athletes always have to work hard, for example, but they don’t necessarily have to put up with the same levels of doubt and internal resistance before each training session as a newbie to the fitness scene would.
In this way, habits – when they are good – can be a powerful “secret weapon” to propel you towards your goals, without you needing to constantly fret and obsess and summon up every ounce of your willpower you have, in order to get anything done.
On the flipside, though, what’s true for good habits is also true for bad habits. If you are naturally prone to doing self-destructive things when relaxing – such as smoking, for example – then those negative habits will have their own momentum and will be easy to act out, and difficult to short-circuit.
Clearly, then, it’s in your self-interest to spend a good deal of time and effort planning how to utilise the power of routine and habits to help you rather than hurt you, when it comes to getting to where you want to be in life.
Pay proper attention to your health, but also cultivate the ability to do things you’re not in the mood for
Everything is harder – often far, far harder – when you are in a state of poor health, and are struggling with chronically low energy levels.
For that reason, among others, it’s extremely important to take your health seriously and emphasise things like good nutrition, regular exercise, and sufficient (and high-quality) sleep on an everyday basis.
As a general rule, the more well-rested you are, the fitter you are, and the better your diet is, the more energy you will have to expend on working towards your goals – and the more pleasurable the experience will be, too.
At the same time, though, you also need to cultivate the ability to do things you’re not in the mood for; because no matter how “on top of your game” you are, there will be days when you’re just not in the mood.