Source : Economic Times , ETPanacheVariety (19 MAY 2017, PAGE-2, New Delhi Edition)
When you are at the end of numerous failures, mistakes or heartbreaks, you might feel like your life is directionless. Exhausted by the weight of emotional baggage and despair, you might wish to go back in time and start over again. Going back in time might be impossible but here are five steps that we help you restart.
Forgive yourself for the mistakes, the opportunities you squandered, misjudgements you made and the time you wasted. You are not a well written error- free program, but a human with plenty of bugs and errors. Being a human and having free will comes with the probability of failures. A simple exercise to practice is to sit down with a notebook and pen and write down all your mistakes. Then tell yourself that you are forgiven. The next part is to forgive others, who may have directly or indirectly caused you trouble. Holding on the past and keeping grudges will only trap you in the past. Move forward and leave the past behind.
Once you forgive yourself and are ready to move on, it's time to figure out your future. Use the time efficiency to shape your life and follow what you desire to. Make a list of your goals and detailed vision of your future.
Identifying priorities in life is essential to take control of your life. Identify who your true friends are and who matters to you. Think about the lifestyle you want to follow. Once you have realized what you true calling is work towards achieving it.
One you have identified your correct path, it is time to make a plan. Research suggests that making a plan or even jotting down your to-do list can help you relax. It triggers the release of endorphins and other feel good hormones in the body.
Plan you future based on actions you would take at different stages. These actions must consist of personal improvement efforts, learning and development of good habits that will help you travel in the right direction and stick to the plan.
To start over your life with success "you must learn to see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life", said author Greg McKeown, in his book Essentialism: The disciplined Pursuit of Less. According to McKeown, instead of asking what do I have to give up? You should ask, "What do I want to go big on?"
This means giving up many things you may hold dear in life that doesn't add value to your future journey. Cutoff the toxic relatives and manipulative friends. Start over with a clean slate and a clear direction.