What’s Next For You?

9/10 people don’t know the answer to that question. And if they do, they only kind of know.
Looking into the future can be a daunting endeavor. You start thinking of all the amazing things to come and what you’re going to achieve in your life. You dream of the big house, the nice car, the beautiful vacations and the perfect career.
And then you realize you have no idea how you’re going to get there. You remember that you’re $50,000 in student loan debt from a University that gave you a degree you can’t get a job with to pay off said loan.
Oh and you need health insurance now, too. No, not that health insurance. That health insurance covers everything you need it to. But you can’t afford that one. So you have to get this one. Yes the one with the $5,000 deductible.
Did I mention you have rent to pay? And car payments! Don’t forget those.
So I’ll ask you again, what’s next for you?
This scenario is bleak but, unfortunately, it’s real life for many of us out there.
However, here’s the funny part.
The people that choose to accept a different reality are the ones that end up living one.
If you focus on every single obstacle you have to overcome in order to reach a goal, you’ll never reach the goal. That’s why so many people can’t answer the question “What’s next for you?” They get so caught up in everything they’d have to endure in pursuit of their aspirations that they get overwhelmed and stop short of even trying.
Many of us struggle to see past our own trials and direct our focus to our vision. Some of us don’t even have a vision! We go through life blind as if we’re meant to simply exist.
If you’re ok with living a life like that then stop here. You’ll find nothing else of use.
If reading the above lines has struck you on an emotional level and reflects how you feel, buckle up. I’m going to give you a framework to create your best possible life so you will be able to confidently answer the “What’s next for you” question.
- What’s preventing you from living a better life?
Mom, Dad, Relationship, Debt, Government, My Past, Uncertainty, Fear, Birthday Cake Oreos, etc.
Make a huge list of everything you believe is holding you back in life.
Once you have your list identify every single item that you have complete and utter control over (Note: these are only the things you think, say, feel, and do. You don’t control what Jenny says about you in the bathroom at work)
You should notice that there aren’t too many items on that list that you are controlling; rather, what you’re letting control you.
2. Replace what you can’t control with what you can.
Some examples of this would be:
Instead of letting student debt determine your life choices, you can research ways to lessen the monthly amount or possibly defer payments.
Instead of worrying about what other people think of you, you can focus on what you want to change (or enhance) within yourself to feel more comfortable in your own skin.
Whatever your choices are, reframe them in a way that empowers and encourages you to move forward, rather than staying stuck where you are.
3. Act
Making lists is great, but they have no purpose without action. You wouldn’t write a grocery list and then not go to the grocery store, right?
This is your time to start moving forward into your dream life! Take all the reframed beliefs you just made and pick one. Focus intently on that one single belief for a month and act on it consistently. Like every day consistently.
After a week or two you’ll start noticing different patterns in your mindset, self-esteem, beliefs in your potential and much more, all from taking a bit of action.
The worst thing you can be in life is a victim. Many of us make ourselves victims of our own lives and circumstances. Take your own personal power back by refusing to accept your reality as it is and create the one you want!
