Happy New Year! Throughout the world, rituals have been completed this weekend, grasping hope and positivity for this new year. Whether eating black-eyed peas, not washing laundry, or meditating in silence, each of these acts attempts to take control of our lives somehow.
But what if you could control your life? By doing more than delaying laundry for another day or eating a specific food. What if there were tools and support you could use to help make this new year into what YOU want it to be?
While we can’t guarantee anything or receive a promise of actual events, there are tried and true ways to help you take control of your life. Implementing these things can increase the chances that you’ll be enjoying your progress next January and setting even bigger ones for the coming year.
- Be Intentional
The first step in taking control of your life is setting a goal and working towards it with intention. Intention here is an “aim or a plan” to accomplish a specific task. This task could be a mindset shift, achieving a particular accomplishment physically, focusing on one specific area of your life, or something else entirely! When people struggle with this step of knowing what intention to place for a new start, I encourage them to think through these questions:
“What would you like to be different about your life this time next year?”
“What are you currently dissatisfied with in your life now?”
“Is there something in your life you wouldn’t wish on a loved one?”
Thought of something? Write it down!
- Take Responsibility
This can be the hardest step, but it is vital in taking control of your life! You need to look at two separate areas of your life, the things you can control and the things you can not. Many of you have probably worked through something similar with a friend, coach, on your own, or with another therapist to shift focus and attitude to only the things that you can control. That’s great! Now ready to level up? You can take this practice one step further in two ways.
One, those things out of your control, I want you to evaluate if they are out of your control. Many times people feel beaten down and list several things outside of their control when they actually might have more within their power than they realize. It can be as simple as the weather, entirely out of your control, right? Correct. But how you handle yourself in the weather IS altogether in your control. Genetics? Completely outside of your control. But the informed decisions you make about your life with your genetics in mind that is within your control. There is a disclaimer here that there are some awful things that sometimes we have no control over. However, take a moment to go through your list and be honest about what you may be passing off as not within your control, when it is.
Two, with the things in your control, take an honest look and hold yourself accountable for how you handle those things. Are you managing them in a way you are proud of? Do you find yourself second-guessing and figuring out what to do next? This is where asking for help and doing research comes into play. I want you to not only control the areas you can but control them in the BEST way possible.
- Set Measurable Action Plans
Now that you have a clear intention and are taking responsibility, it is time to develop a clear, measurable plan for reaching that goal. Do you want to have a closer relationship with your kids? Set a scheduled time each week to spend time with them, focusing on getting to know who they are and cultivating that relationship. Do you want a better relationship with food? Work with a nutritionist, therapist, or do research to educate yourself on proper information and application for your life for a certain amount of time each week, and then implement what you learn. Is your goal a better financial place? Set a plan each week/month of what you want to do with your money differently than what you are doing now.
- Regularly Check In For Accountability
This step is something you can do with yourself or with somebody else. The important aspects here are honesty and accountability! Taking control of your life means taking responsibility when it isn’t happening and adjusting accordingly. It does not matter how you do this, just make sure it is in your plan!
If you want support in taking control of your life, reach out today for a free consultation! Our counselors would love to help you make this year your best one! If you are interested in our services, feel free to submit an inquiry on our contact page!