I often find myself pondering my life…….for me this has proved useful, to take time for introspection or self-reflection and to gain new perspectives. As long as it helps us to understand ourselves and find ways of making the necessary changes to pave the way for further progress ahead. I have found it a particularly useful exercise in tough times. They say, tough times do call for tough measures, and reflecting in this way can even go some way to making us ‘tough-minded’ optimists!
When we only look outwards towards our environments in order to find those things that are ‘wrong’, we can easily play the blame game…….but I find it rarely helps. One cannot often easily bring immediate change to our external environment; in the industry, in the market, in the economy or even the weather…. perhaps, that’s not even necessary. Focusing on such things can leave you in a puzzle that can never be solved because there are myriad ways and means in which things can change, and do change over time. I think a key factor is to turn inward a little and try to understand what’s motivating you.
Your response to your event…
Such focus on motivation is a good start to understand how external factors can impact you; your life and your career. Once you’re clear on those key things that are driving you, it becomes easier to focus and go about making the necessary changes at a time, and in a way, that is right for you. Aligning your personal aims & ambitions with your professional goals can be a good starting point. This can help you understand and make progress to enjoy success in both your career and personal life.
Our motivation is likely to be shaped by various life events; childhood and school experiences, friends, family and even movies can have a big impact on us. However, such external things can contribute to only one part of the story – the most important part is how we individually process these and how we choose to respond to any life event.
Your choice, your action, your life….
When faced with challenging situations in life, it can call for a tough mindset. So many people can feel stuck in life, caught up in vicious cycles that they feel like they can’t get out of. From my experience the first step to getting unstuck is…..awareness – once you’re aware of what’s happening internally, how you respond and why, this can both enable and empower you to recognise what you can control and figure out your next steps. When you do so, understanding your key motivating factors can help you to take the right steps for you.
I take the attitude that life often seems to begin just at the end of your comfort zone!
So, be prepared to stretch yourself a little…..that’s not always easy. However, if you are aware of your motivations, that stretching outside of your comfort zone can seem less painful, because you are putting yourself in a position to embrace freedom and responsibility based on your deepest values. If you are doing things just because your feel you should, or just to please somebody else, this can lead to stress and frustration.
A bright future awaits you…..
So, go ahead, sit back, relax, spend a bit of time understanding what’s motivating you and then plan your important activities based on that which you are inspired, see how much more enjoyment you get!
So, the big question is how do we do this?
That’s not easy to summarise in one blog post and will look different for everyone, but I find an important starting point is to be honest with yourself. Take time to listen to and understand your thoughts and feelings, writing them down can really make a difference. Once you write them down, be positive and pragmatic; in the words of Jim Rohn, “believe like a child and plan like an adult.”
You can change your response to your life events. Talk to someone you can trust, someone who can provide you with an objective, impartial viewpoint. You deserve a better and brighter future… and that begins with you!
Author
Venkdesh Balasubramanian.
Venkdesh is a student member of NSTT and is currently a student at The National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy where we are very proud that his motivations and values aligned to lead him to study to become a hypno-psychotherapist with us.