Dare To Live Without Limits Week Of 2/7/2022

Turn your life around by assuming control

When you find yourself in your car driving down the wrong road, you turn around. Then you continue toward your desired route. Life works the same way. When you are headed in the wrong direction, you don’t keep going. Doing so gets you lost and makes things worse. Instead, you need to turn your life around.
You are not a victim. You’re in control of your thoughts and actions. If you are not happy about the direction you are headed, it’s up to you to make the necessary changes. Making excuses or blaming other people or circumstances keeps you going in the wrong direction.
Be willing to make the changes necessary to turn your life around. Being set in your ways prevents you from making the needed adjustments. You must be ready to do what is required to change direction.
Connect with positive, motivated people who will provide support and encouragement, while being a good example. Eliminate toxic relationships. These are people who are headed in the wrong direction with no intention of changing. They will drag you down with them if you don’t break away.
Toxic relationships are particularly insidious when involving family and friends. Don’t be insulting. Simply reduce or minimize your interaction with them. Don’t ask them for advice or seek their opinion. Stop sharing your goals with them.
Make yourself a priority by taking care of your mental and physical wellbeing. Since physical issues affect you mentally and mental issues impact you physically, it’s imperative for both aspects to be looked after.
You need to make changes if you are constantly stressed, anxious, upset, or on edge. Your state of mind impacts every aspect of your life. Find the root cause of your mental discomfort. This is what needs to be corrected. Attempting to mask the symptoms through substance abuse of self-destructive behavior makes circumstances worse.
Pain or physical discomfort due to inactivity are correctable. Regular exercise, combined with a healthy diet, is essential for your physical health. Just walking for 20 minutes three times a week provides your body with needed movement. Eat foods which enable you to feel good, while maintaining your desired weight.
Pay attention to cause and effect. If what you are doing isn’t creating the desired results, change what you are doing. Circumstances don’t correct themselves. Stop doing what’s not working and take a different strategy.
Learn from the past. Eliminate flawed approaches. Repeat that which is working. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome. Turning your life around is an ongoing process. It’s making corrections as needed.
Have clear, desirable goals. There’s no way to know you are going in the wrong direction unless you know where you want to be headed. If you have no goals, you will drift aimlessly. If your current goals are not taking you where you want to go, pick new goals.
Be willing to leave your comfort zone. Change can feel uncomfortable. It’s hard leaving what you are used to. Although doing something new and different seems awkward, the alternative is continuing down the same wrong road.
Never, ever give up. Success often requires multiple changes in direction. As soon as you find yourself going in the wrong direction, turn around. Make the best decisions you can with all of the information you have. If circumstances change, make new decisions.
Life is fluid. Be flexible. Be ready to adjust as needed. You are always free to change direction. Being on the wrong path is not permanent. Your age doesn’t matter. You are never too young or too old to turn your life around.

NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper.  2022 Bryan Golden