The First Steps to Regaining Control of Your Life

Certainly, regaining control of one's life can be a multi-step process, and the specific steps may vary from person to person. However, in this podcast, you find some general first steps that individuals struggling with control and direction in their lives can consider.
I'm convinced that even just taking one of these steps and applying it to your life will make a huge difference.  

Transcript

The First Steps to Regaining Control of Your Life

1. Self-Reflection:

Take some time to reflect on your current situation. Master, I lost the axe head and it was borrowed. Where did you lose it?  

We’ve lost it because we have not been doing self-inspections. If he had taken the time to notice things were a little loose, he would have saved himself a whole lot of stress. The same goes for you. Step back.  

Take some time to reflect. I love what Robin Sharma says in his book The 5 am Club: Elite Production Without Quiet Vacation Causes Lasting Depletion 

What aspects of your life do you feel are out of control or unsatisfactory? Identifying these areas is the first step to making positive changes.

2. Get Up

Moses My servant is dead, so now get up and cross over the Jordan. Look, the best way for you to begin to take back your life is to get up in the morning. Get your butt up people!! When we have lost our way. When we are depressed. We want to stay in bed. We make ourselves believe we are tired or need rest when in reality we are hiding from what is about to occur.  

How to get up. Two recommendations. 1. Put your phone out of reach. I love the sleep story app. It is a quiet Zen-type alarm that makes you feel Alive and not like an alarm signaling the earth is soon to be destroyed.  

2. Alarmy. It will allow you to set a picture as your off button. So if your coffee bar is the goal it won't go off until you take a picture of it. Don’t make it your pillow. Anyway, the point is GET UP!! Begin by taking control of your day. By getting up (I recommend 5 am) you will be one of the few in your timezone up and on course to crush another day.  

3. Set Clear Goals: 

You can t get up at 5 a.m. and sit down on the couch and figure out what you are going to do next! I’ve tried that and woke up when my kid's alarms went off at 6 a.m. Then I was back to the place I was discouraged and depressed I lost a whole hour. Or did? I didn’t have a plan for it anyway.  

I have a specific routine I do before 6 a.m. I want you to have one as well. I will talk about mine in a future podcast, but break up that hour into 15-20 min increments. Make time to read, pray, journal, exercise, meditate, walk the dog while listening to your favorite podcast, write a thank you journal, or write a thank you note. WHATEVER! Just take that hour to accomplish greatness. A few of these are must, like reading.  

1. Run a 5k. Let’s get a plan. Hal Higdon is awesome, and so is Couch to 5k. I don’t care but find a plan that breaks things down and makes it achievable.  

2. You want to start a blog or podcast. AWESOME! Now get some topics running you would love to write about and jot down some ideas with them.  

But treg I just don’t have time…

4. Break Goals into Smaller Steps: 

As you look at 5k or 52 blogs in a year that looks like an insurmountable task, but it is not. But it is not when you make it part of your morning routine. Get up, spend your first hour doing three of the things I've mentioned above then at 6 am take 30min to do you! See I am somewhat relevant.  

From 6-6:30 write. From 6-6:30 run. Whatever it is…do it! This is your time. This is the time for you to not only follow a plan but to accomplish it. I recommend getting a calendar and putting an “X” through every day you accomplish your 6 a.m. mission. Mine is to be “in better shape than most 40-50-year-olds. So I am at Planet Fitness on Tuesday and Thursday at 6 a.m. I am running our neighborhood at 6 am Monday and Wednesday. I run with the boys on the weekend. When I accomplish the 6 a.m. mission I take a calendar and put an “X” over the date when I am in my closet after the workout. Seinfeld did/does this. After he writes his allotment of jokes every day he then goes to his calendar and puts an “X” through it.  

Large, overwhelming goals can be intimidating. Break them down into smaller, manageable steps that you can work on consistently and “X” out, making them more achievable and doable.  

USE A RED PEN TOO. It’s better.  

5. Accontablilty partner. 

Don't be afraid to reach out to friends, family, or a coach for support and accountability. Having someone to share your journey with can be incredibly helpful.

7. **Eliminate Distractions:** Do not touch your phone. If you need it to accomplish a 5 a.m. task then shut down all the other apps in your screen time function to not come on until 6:30 a.m.  

6. Learn and Adapt: 

Be open to learning from your experiences, both successes and setbacks. Adjust your approach as needed to stay on track.

7. Get Help 

To help get you started, hire a coach, go see a trainer, and take a webinar on how to write a blog. See a chiropractor or masso if your joints are hurting. Tell a nutritionist your goal and have them set a menu for you. I know these things cost money, but either spend it now so you can make more in the future or hoard it and die and let someone else spend it later!!  

8. Celebrate Small Wins: 

Recognize and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. This positive reinforcement can motivate you to keep moving forward.

Remember that regaining control of your life is a journey, and it may not happen overnight. 

Be patient with yourself and stay committed to the process. 

Seeking the guidance of a life coach or counselor can also be beneficial as they can provide personalized guidance and support tailored to your specific circumstances and goals. I am currently able to take on a few guys right now if you are looking for some additional guidance or coaching. Just shoot me an email. treg@faithwv.org