Do you sometimes feel like a zombie, mindlessly and mechanically working and living for the weekend and holidays? Even when they do come, they are never enough to give you the much-needed revamp. I know a number of people feel this way and a majority are going through life in this state, sometimes without being consciously aware of it.
We are a society of zombies, you only need to look at social media and what amuses us; from mindless watching of cute babies and cute cats to watching ticktock video clips of people imitating others, among other mindless activities. These can occupy you even during a meeting where you are required to offer input. Some people feel incarcerated by their lives and intensely dislike what they do. You might be 'in too deep' to make any major changes or to take any courageous action.
This is where your life really needs a jumpstart, to get you back to purposefully living. An epiphany came to me one day when in a book I was reading, the author said, "nothing changes when nothing changes." You cannot keep doing things the same way and expect a different outcome. In order to jumpstart your life, you need to consciously make different choices, and do some things a little differently. Here are a few changes you can start doing to immediately start the self-rejuvenation journey, some of these are what I personally have implemented in the recent past;
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Networking or Joining a Network
This is a tough thing mostly for introverts (I consider myself one), we prefer to work on our own and we thrive in this solitude. However, when you don’t network, it’s like a man winking at a girl in the dark, she will not notice you. Networking is not necessarily going for functions and making small talk, this can comprise joining professional networks and being active in them. Participating actively when you can, attend (and pay for) seminars - most employees wait for their employers to pay for these seminars, which doesn’t happen often. Nobody is as interested in your personal growth and improvement as much as yourself, so how about you take this upon yourself?
I heard about networking from a seminar I had attended, sponsored by a local university. This seminar was the beginning of my rejuvenation journey, which led me to join a network that has spiraled my growth and actions in many ways.
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Take or Accept Responsibility
In Brian Tracey’s book “No Excuses”, he asks readers to accept responsibility for every negative outcome, find a reason why they’re the ones to blame, take responsibility, and make progress. Never complain, never explain. When we blame others, we give them power over us and over our actions. You really are responsible for how you react in every situation. It’s not what happens to you that matters, it is how you react to it. So you’re unhappy with your status quo? How about you accept the responsibility that you got yourself to this position and start acting on how to get yourself out of it? This will go a long way in jump-starting your life. Life is more enjoyable when your heart is light.
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Re-organize your life
We all have this ideal day in our mind, where given a chance, you would fashion your day accordingly. You say “if only I had a remote working job, I would..” or “if only I made so much money, I would..”. When you genuinely look at some of the things you’d like to do, and if you are serious about them, you could actually incorporate them into your life right now. Do you need time to do something you’d love to do but never seem to find the time? What can you reduce or remove from your day in order to make time for what’s important to you? Wake up earlier? Watch less TV? Stop spending a lot of time on social media. Reduce time spent at the bar? I used to be a reader when I was younger, but this was a long-forgotten hobby. I made a few changes, bought books, downloaded audiobooks, and purposefully started ‘reading’ books every day. The wealth of knowledge this gives you together with opening up your mind is insurmountable.
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Find out what you really love doing / Find your purpose
Don’t know what you’re passionate about or struggling to find your purpose in life? In the meta secret of life, it is said, to trust what you are attracted to, as it will take you to where you need to go. As we grow older, we get clouded by expectations and responsibilities which makes us lose sight of what we really care about. However, deep down, you always know what you would do if you had all the money and time in the world. There’s ‘that thing’.. It should guide you to where you should be. I don’t think we’re only made for one purpose - okay, sometimes one purpose might be the strongest, but we’re flexible beings. I have found my ‘happy place’, which I also call my Rehoboth, things I now do that give me a kick, and I think that kick keeps me young too.
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Balance your life
It’s been found that we all have deep care in these four aspects of life;
Health - we all need and want to be healthy in order to enjoy everyday living,
Wealth - don’t we all seek wealth, this enables you to live a comfortable life,
Self - everyone needs to invest in self-care, both mental and intellectual,
Social - we are social beings, despite our temperaments, be it from family, friends, or colleagues
Ensuring that each of these areas is given some attention every day or every so often, will bring about some peace and balance from within. These are easily ignored aspects since they don’t directly ‘complain’ when ignored but we pay for their absence in the long run, which is even more painful. We’ve all heard or read stories of wealthy men on their deathbeds saying if only they spent more time with family, if only they took better care of themselves, if only.. You’ve heard those wishes, don’t be one of those that will wish, correct things now.
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Focus on what you want
Many times when you’re under stress or duress, you spend an insurmountable amount of time thinking of your sadness, and your stressors, focusing on what you ideally do not want. Unfortunately, you grow what you focus on, so guess what, your negative circumstance becomes ‘bigger’ the more you keep your mind on it. The good book says “ do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself”. It also says, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen”. Focus on what you hope for. So instead of spending sleepless nights worrying about where you’ll get your next job or paycheck, how about spending that time envisioning having that paycheck or job, envision yourself being happy and having overcome the stressful situation. After all most times what you worry about never comes to pass, so why waste your emotions on them?
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Learn to Declutter
Most of us live in this clouded space where our minds are always on a roller-coaster. We’re always thinking about something, planning something, or looking for something, and when our minds go blank, we ‘feel guilty’. Even car engines, when they run continuously without a break, they develop issues. Your brain is your engine, and it needs mindful resting. There’s a reason why meditation and mindfulness are really a ‘thing’ for successful people. Everyone needs that time to unwind, to let the brain re-connect with itself, and allow it to process what it needs to process in a peaceful manner. Many people suffer from anxiety, a big stressor that can easily be dealt with through the art of meditation or mindfulness. Some use prayer as a form of decluttering, which works too. There are many techniques for decluttering your mind that you can find in books and videos. I’ve learned a few ways to declutter and to quiet my mind which I use every so often to get myself back into comfort.
Download a guide for decluttering here
These are not exhaustive ways but are a great start in finding a way to jumpstart your life. It worked for me and I trust it will work for you too. Let’s soar!
