- Geekmaster
- 2021-08-08 09:35:58
- 18 minute(s)
5 Ways to Take Back Control of Your Life Right Now (Even if You Feel Wildly out of Control)
Does it feel like you’re the last person calling the shots? Well now’s the time to seize the initiative, get into gear and take back control of your life (even if you feel wildly out of control). When life gets overwhelming, sometimes a change in perspective is all it takes to feel in control.
One of the most powerful realizations that can change your life is becoming aware of the power you have to choose.
Many people get overwhelmed and frustrated in their lives because they see only the roadblocks and circumstances that prevent them from doing what they want to do, and they feel powerless to change them. As a result, their lives often feel beyond their control. When they perceive they don’t have choices, they feel frustrated and lose hope. On the other hand, people who see their lives as a series of choices feel in control of their lives and their destiny.
Your life is yours to live, so why aren’t you treating it that way?
Up until now, you may have let others decide your path. You’ve been trying to figure out your passions, or even where in the world you truly want to be. But, it all got so overwhelming, and now you’ve found yourself settling for something that doesn’t feel quite right. You need to know some ways to take back control of your life right now, so that you can start living a life you love.
I know. It’s easy to let life get away from you at times.
To feel overwhelmed by expectations or buried under all the stuff that comes with day-to-day responsibilities. That’s when you feel like you’re not in control of your life. Our time is filled with the things we have to do, while the stuff we’d like to do seems further and further away. That’s when it’s time make a few changes.
By taking over the wheel on the road leading to your destiny, you can navigate your life away from obstacles and ensure a smooth ride ahead. You also find the spark that makes you unique.
While you may know what you want your life to look like, you probably do not know how you can achieve your dreams. The good thing is, there is always a solution. Feeling like you have lost control does not mean that all hope is gone. It just means that you need to regain control. To help you feel less overwhelmed, here are five ways that can help you take back control of your life.
Tip #1: Happiness Is a Choice
In our day and age, simply turning on the news can negatively impact your mental health. Doom scrolling can leave you with a sense of hopelessness. When there is so much negativity on the Internet and TV, you cannot focus on anything else. When you take control of the content you consume, you can change your life.
Reading, watching, and surrounding yourself with more positive or inspirational content can encourage you to take control.
If you frown, groan, grumble, and focus on everything wrong in the world you will feel down, lethargic and negative. Why bother with that? Identify the things and people that make you feel unhappy and eliminate them from your life. Nothing good can come from them. Like attracts like. Positive thoughts produce positive results. If you surround yourself in positive emotions, energies, thoughts, and people then positive events will be the end result. Unfortunately, the same is true if you surround yourself in negative energies.
What you plant, so shall you harvest.
If you plant rose seeds you get roses right? Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature. Do you know someone that is always negative and melancholy? Notice that bad luck seems to continuously follow them. They may say that a rain cloud is right above his or her head. Well, they’re right. And as soon as they realize that it is they who create that rain cloud they can chose to make it disappear.
Stresses and challenges don’t seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are great in your life.
Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference. Every day I take at least three times a day to think about my loved ones and closed friends, and all the great people that I have in my life. Thinking about what you’re grateful for at least three times a day for 60 seconds will dramatically improve your mindset. Stay optimistic and exude positive energy despite the surrounding negativity.
Gratitude is an important quality to cultivate in your daily life.
When we appreciate what we already have, it allows more goodness to flow to us; we also focus less on what is going wrong, what we haven’t yet done or what we don’t yet have. It connects us to the present moment and allows us to see our lives from a more positive perspective. Your thoughts can’t hold any power over you if you don’t judge them. Let your negative thoughts flow down a stream away for you like a leaf in water. Yes, they will show up, but it’s up to you to let them go and keep it moving. If you give negative thoughts the time of day, then your day will be seen as a negative day.
Tip #2: Just Say No
The ability to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in a given situation is often more a matter of perception than reality. Most of the time we are afraid to say no because of our own expectations, beliefs or fears about what others will think of us. We must make time for ourselves, our priorities and our goals. Otherwise, in our fear of letting others down we can often let ourselves down.
Many people are unhappy with their life as they often say, “This is not the life I want to live”.
However, they have no idea what they do want. Not knowing what you want means that you will always feel like something is missing. Identify the thing that will make you happy. Once you have a clear image of what you want your life to look like, make sure that you stay true to it. In other words, do not let the opinions of friends, family, and even strangers discourage you from following your dream.
Nothing saps you quite like feeling you’re buried under commitments.
You feel rushed or you feel like you can’t do anything well because there’s simply too much to do. I suggests cutting back on commitments to take back your attention and thus, your time. Even when it seems like there’s nothing you can cut, take a hard look. Make the difficult decision to let some things go. Rather than trying to do everything, instead focus on doing just a few things well. When you are driven by outside commitments, you no longer have control of your own time. When you are instead driven by your internal drive and goals, that’s when you control your time — and your life.
Wishful thinking aside, we have a limited amount of time and energy.
When we say yes to one thing, we are saying no to something else. So, before you agree to take on that high-profile project at work, consider what you are saying no to — is it time with your family, sleep, volunteering, or just time to relax? The benefits may be worth the sacrifice, but understand the trade-offs before you decide. However you approach your day, it’s time to start making a list of what you need to achieve in the order it needs to be done. That way you’ll be able to prioritize properly and dedicate the right amount of time to each one — and it will also make your days far more productive and satisfying.
Remember that a clear “no” can be more graceful than a vague or noncommittal “yes.”
When was the last time your “I’ll do my best” or “I think I can fit this in” yielded good results for you or the other person? A clear no is more respectful and helpful than stringing someone along. If something isn’t up your alley, there’s no reason to feel strangely guilty or obligated to commit to something that simply isn’t you. Serving their purpose will sacrifice your own purpose, and the power of saying no will go a long way with this one. This also applies to opportunities where you don’t feel comfortable and outings that don’t coincide with your beliefs or personal interests.
Tip #3: Your Life, Your Call
To have ultimate control of your life, you will need to be able to make decisions and stick with them. Some will be trivial, others more significant, but they all need to be tackled head on. Once you have got into the habit, it will become second nature and you’ll be amazed at just how empowering the experience can feel. You’ll also find that those around you notice the difference, as you become more determined and purposeful in all areas of your life.
Let’s face it: there is a lot in life that isn’t under your control. But one thing you can always control is your effort.
In any situation, your enthusiasm and motivation is up to you. Do you show up to a meeting prepared to make your points heard? Or do you roll in late without a pen? You’re in control. Even when you decide that you don’t have the energy to give 110% that day, make the call and take the pressure off yourself. Decide when you want to push and when you want to relax, that way, you don’t feel like you’re coming up short.
Remind yourself of what aspects of your life seem to be out of your control.
Maybe you are unhappy because you have not exercised in months or your house is a mess. Maybe you have tried to change the content you consume but you cannot do so. Think of anything that feels out of control. Whatever it is, do something small to change it. This can be something as simple as exercising for 15 minutes right now, tidying up for 10 minutes before bed, or deleting your Twitter account. In other words, just 10-15 minutes today can make you feel more empowered and in control than you felt this morning.
If you don’t develop your vision, your life will be determined by outside circumstances and other people.
Creating a vision of your life can guide you to take the best actions that move you towards the life of your dreams. Some people might say that they don’t know what they want even shortly, to say nothing about five or ten years from now. Also, there is no guarantee on how life will turn out and what can happen, as we all evidenced this year. Life can indeed be uncertain, and there are a lot of circumstances outside our control. However, we have the magic power of imagination. Just allow yourself to dream and imagine your ideal life in detail and how you want to feel.
Nobody ever sat his or her way to success. It takes hard work, motivation, a positive attitude and a strong belief that you can do it.
That combination produces what we call luck. Do not sit back and wait for life to happen to you. Have a plan and take the needed steps to create what you want. Imagine an archer that did not have a target to shoot his arrow at. He would fire his arrows aimlessly and would not be successful. Have a goal, write it down, and act upon that goal. Now that there is a clear target you can have a plan of action. A visible target is easier to hit.
Tip #4: Think About It
Our minds work overtime. We are overstimulated with technology, constant access and hectic schedules. We are always thinking, worrying or planning. Most of us are under the impression that we need large amounts of time to be able to relax and recharge and we underestimate the power of just a few minutes of stillness and silence every day. Just five minutes a day has been shown to improve health, mood and overall well-being.
It’s going to sound cheesy, and probably a little cliché at this point, but being comfortable with who you are as a person is essential to living your best life.
Maybe you’ll have to take a trip solo, or just do some soul-searching in a coffee shop. The second you find that confidence, though, you’ll be unstoppable. Truth is, you have to be in touch with yourself to know what you need and want out of life. Otherwise, you’re just making choices based on what everyone else thinks, or settling for something quite average. Spend time with you, and enjoy that solitude so that you can start taking charge.
It’s easy to get caught up in the swirl of our everyday lives.
Taking time out of the daily routine can bring new perspectives. Reflect back on the day, the month, or the year and give yourself kudos for your accomplishments. Think about your unique talents and capabilities: Have you been using them? Then, reflect on the future: What do you want to accomplish? How do you want to spend your time and energy? As you gain clarity on who you are and what you want, you’ll start making choices that move you in the direction that is right for you.
Guess what? You’ll never take control of your life until you objectively assess your current situation.
You can play that game where you try to pretend your life is better than it is, or you can just admit you’re not the biggest fan of your current situation, let it wash over you, and use those feelings as inspiration to change. I’ve always been the type to deeply think about the future. If you want to change your life, you have to deeply think about your future. What type of trajectory are you on? People play this game where they hold onto this faint notion that they’ll break out of society’s shackles, but they never do because they push it off again and again — death by a thousand cuts.
You need to determine what your values are so that you can get your priorities straight.
Think about what and who is important to you — Is it freedom, happiness, equality, money, your family? Then, think about what you are doing right now to support each of your values, and how your values are affecting your life. It can help to consider what a person that you respect would think of your values and whether this would change what they are. If you are co-dependent on others for your emotional health, lifestyle, or need them to tell you what to do, you are not in control of your life. Learn to solve your own problems and spend time alone to think and reflect.
Tip #5: Embrace The Unknown
When you hit what you think is a breaking point, don’t resist it, but embrace it. Walk right into it. Often these moments are occurring precisely to illuminate what you’re missing in your life, and what you deeply long for. When you learn to embrace rather than fight the lessons these challenging moments are trying to teach you, suddenly a new path becomes clearer and more possible than ever before.
No matter how much you want to have control over everything in your life, it is impossible.
There will always be something we could not have predicted or prepared for. In these cases, do not get angry or stressed. Instead, focus on the things that do depend on you. Accept what you cannot change and change what you can. Be confident in everything you do and in every decision you make. If you are hesitant or unsure of what you are doing, you will not feel like you are in control of your own actions and you will feel vulnerable. To be honest, even just putting on a pair of heels or wedges or wearing a suit and tie will make you feel like you’re conquering the day. It’s the little things sometimes!
We often hesitate because we’re afraid we’ll make the wrong choice, or we worry about things that might happen.
Should I take that new position? What if I fail? We never have all of the answers — life is full of unexpected events. The key to living the life you want is to make the best decision you can based on the information you have at the time — and then to trust yourself. Trust that you will find a way to be successful. Trust that you will be able to handle whatever happens. Remember, very few decisions can’t be undone. It’s in your control. So, make the choice that works best for you, and trust that it will be okay.
The road to success is always under construction. Every morning we awake to a day we have never seen or experienced.
Mistakes will be made and obstacles will appear. You have no control over these events but you do control your reaction to them. It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on. It is when we hurt that we learn. The power to choose how much we learn is ours. Do you see a stumbling block or a stepping-stone? You decide.
As you pursue your dreams, you need to find the courage to step outside your comfort zone and deal with uncertainty.
Many people are afraid of the unknown. This fear is driven by the feeling that we do not have control over how our lives will unfold, which is very unsettling. The fear of the unknown is often based on the fear of failure. It is especially true when we are about to embark on a new, unfamiliar journey. Although uncertainty can be scary, it can also be exhilarating. The unknown can be just as exciting as it is fearful. Just let life happen and experience it the way it is.
Wrapping Up
Changing your life isn’t the process of becoming something you’re not. It’s accepting who you really are and what you know to be true deep down. You have talent. You have a skill. You’re already pre-wired to be brilliant; you just need to shift your brilliance to tap into this power.
To live your life without any regrets, you need to honor what you want to achieve and take daily steps towards your goals.
You can choose to let go of your past regrets, create your life vision, and start taking daily actions that will empower you to live a satisfying life with no regrets. You never know how long you will be on this planet. However, it’s within your power to live your best life when you make conscious choices to let go of your past, create a compelling life vision, get out of your comfort zone, and make the most of each day you have.
As you begin to see your life as a series of small choices, you begin to see the power you have over your experience.
It’s important to remember that while you cannot control what happens to you, you always have control over your response. In this context you reclaim control of your life and fully embrace your personal power. And if you follow the above five strategies, you will be able to change your life. It may be a long and difficult journey, but it is one that is undoubtedly worth it.
Taking control of your life takes time and requires decisions. Therefore make the efforts worth it.
Taking charge of your life can be intimidating, but I promise you have the strength and energy within you to make it happen. Don’t waste another second of your time, because there’s a life you’ll absolutely love waiting for you on the other side.
While you can’t change your past, but you can choose your present and your future.
These 5 strategies I hope will help to remind you that we have to stay conscious of what we’re putting out to the world, but also have time to decompress and enjoy our lives in peace with friends and family. Now, maintaining that balance is a hard challenge, and I wish you all the success in all you do.
Geeknack's Picks
