Let’s face it.
We all get caught up and stuck in a rut at some stage in our life. As a result, we lose the sight of our life path, but this is never a good place to stay for long.
To live a life that’s truly fulfilling requires you to be in tune with who you are, find your inner strength to examine the path you’re currently travelling and be honest about whether you need a course-correction.
Here are 14 pointers that will inspire you to break out of the rut and begin to carve and find your life path to a better and more fulfilling life.
1. Where do You See the Ideal You?
We all have ideas of where we would be if life had turned out differently. It certainly is a nice thought, but it’s not “you” yet. Consider this idea as a person you want to become, and then this person becomes a goal to work towards, “your ideal future self”. Remember, this vision will change over time, but this “ideal you” that you are aiming to become is a useful focus point to work towards.
2. Where do You See the Current You?
Compare your thoughts of your ideal future self with your likely future self, based on where your life is heading right now. Could be better, right? That seems to be true for most people. Don’t get yourself down about this. Use it as a point of inspiration to launch yourself into something better.
3. Find Your Passion
If money was not a barrier, what would you do with your life? Consider what excites you, and what you simply love doing. It could be writing music, performing, or helping others become the best they can be. There are endless possibilities, and only you will know which one is yours.
4. What is Holding You Back?
In the last 4 years I’ve been practising coaching, I’ve found that the number one thing that holds us back is comparing yourself to others. Everyone is on their own journey – they are on a different life path than you. Whether it is starting a new business or learning a new skill, we tend to compare ourselves to others who are on a different road or farther down on it simply because they took action before you did. A better measure would be to shift your focus on where you currently are and compare it to how far you’ve come.
5. What Do You Fear?
Three of the most common fears are the fear of the unknown, fear of failure, and fear of looking like a failure. It results in your comfort zone trying to keep you safe and secure in what you know and what you are familiar with. Yet, you cannot grow in your comfort zone. Because guess what? You don’t know what you don’t know (that lies beyond your comfort zone). Push against those barriers, take one action step at a time, which could be as simple as just starting. Use the momentum to carry you through.
6. Get Rid of the Negative Chatter
The only person really holding us back is usually us. Don’t let those negative thoughts have power over you. When something negative pops into your head, whether it’s about yourself, or someone else, don’t entertain it. Instead, counter that thought with something else. It can be an effort to train your mind into this routine, but it is an important part of your journey.
7. Embrace the Positive
Human beings are driven by two things: The avoidance of pain and the motivation to gain pleasure. Just like getting rid of your negative thoughts, embracing the positive ones will have an enormous impact. But this isn’t just about having happy thoughts. Being in the routine of encouraging yourself is a powerful thing. From getting through the day with a smile to facing the challenges of becoming the ideal you, embracing the positive will propel you forward.
8. Consider the People Around You
Just like the thoughts in our head, the people around us have an immeasurable impact on our success and what we achieve in our lives. Think about the people you spend your time with. They may be family members, friends or colleagues. Do they have a positive impact on your life? Do they build you up, challenge and support you? You can’t always escape work colleagues or family members, but even understanding the impact that they have on you is an important start.
9. Explore New Things
One of the best ways to break out of your comfort zone is to learn something new. Learning undermines any reason you have to fear, it’s a chance to understand it and become familiar with it. Try to learn something new each day and go for a wide variety of different things. Read something by a new author; listen to a wildly different musician as you are used to; if there are people around you who you don’t know well, speak to them. Your learning is only as limited as your imagination.
10. Set Goals for Yourself
Do you know where you are going? How are you planning to get from point A to B in your journey? Making goals, setting a timeframe, and building a plan will set you up for success.
11. Do Something Meaningful
Is what you do meaningful? Again, this is different for everyone. From working a trade, carrying out research, to teaching and helping others improve their lives, the possibilities are endless.
But if you find no meaning in what you are doing, is that really worth staying there?
12. Are You Feeling Inspired?
This goes hand in hand with doing something meaningful with your life. But even if you are doing something that could be meaningful, does it inspire you? A meaningful occupation can still drain you if you feel that it’s not for you; maybe the people around you are keeping you down, or perhaps it’s just time for a change.
13. Putting Yourself First
Remember to look after yourself. Know your limits and when you need a break. It is okay to say no to people because you don’t want to let other people’s goals become more important than your own. Take some time out to read, travel, and learn that language you’ve always wanted to learn. You know you, and you know what helps you recharge.
14. Building Momentum
Changing your life sounds overwhelming. Yes, it is a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Remember that objects in motion will stay in motion. Start. Do something. Get yourself moving. Once you get the ball rolling and build momentum, you will feel your horizon broadening, and finding your life path will become easier.
It’s far too easy to stagnate in your comfort zone. It will take effort, you will need to roll up your sleeves and leave the safety and security of the life you are used to behind.
Set goals, embrace the positive, let the journey inspire you to learn all kinds of new things. Sometimes you need to get out of your own way and let yourself do the extraordinary things. We are all capable of incredible, we just need to start.
Your Thoughts?
Of course, the above list to find your life path is by no means complete! What more would you add to it? Tell us in the comments below!
