Self evaluation of your life should happen often. How often is up to you. For me I always have a plan so I may look at things weekly if not daily. It’s not that I am attempting to carry the weight of the world on my shoulder. For me it’s always keeping things fresh and always working toward my goal.
Today is national evaluate your life. So no doubt many will take the time to think about what they are doing and need to do and haven’t done. Let me say before you cue in the sad choir, that evaluation can take a lot of mental stimulation. I know there have been plenty of times in my life where I would evaluate my life than I would go into a deep depression. All I could see was the negative things. It was a slap in the face of what my potential was and what was actually happening. I would in my mind want to find the ugliest of clothes and just walk around with nappy hair and sadness. However in the real world while I was in my pity party, life was moving forward.
I had to go to work for fear of not paying my bills and the fear of having to come home and say to my parents I couldn’t cut it. So even at my most lowest moment when even Ramen noodles seemed like Red Lobster, I had to keep going. So how do you pick up the pieces of a shattered life or the life that was meant to be but still hasn’t shown up to greet you?
- Make bigger tasks smaller. You have a plan of what you want. Always know what it will take to make that plan pop and then find ways to make that happen daily. If you aren’t doing one thing daily towards your goals you are already losing. Small goals give you a mental relief until the main goal is achieved.
- Give yourself a break. It is true that those who hustle hard win. However even in hustling there are days when you are burnt out. You have to find some time to be gentle to yourself. You will beat yourself up harder than a fight in the boxing ring.
- Know that failure is when you stop not when you get knocked down. If your goal is to workout 3 days a week and you only made it to 2 days, be grateful and try again. If you allow your mind to have its way next thing you know you are back to no workouts at all.
- Focus man. Yes that’s for the ladies too. So many times you focus on what others got, what others are doing, etc and you are losing because you keep comparing. It’s great to find someone who is at a place you want to be. But let’s keep it real you spend more time comparing yourself to people you never want to be like just because they seem to be temporarily prospering right now. All gain ain’t good gain. Focus on you.
- Learn to find an activity that reduces stress. Let me just say that its hard to do that if you are seconds from losing it all. However its important. I know plenty who are on their seemingly last leg but they ran, walked, journal, listen to music, etc something to keep their wits about them. Most of the issues we face in our life has to do with her mind. If you can change your mind and how your mind has you seeing the things around you, half the time you can make more happen for yourself.
So today while you are evaluating all that life has thrown and feel like you too are being thrown, take a few steps back. Do NOT quit. Quitting is the biggest result of failure. You could fall a thousand times before reaching your goal and have others consider you as a failure but when you believe it and allow it to happen you have failed yourself. I know plenty especially in the relationship category could use this nugget. They date a few frogs and meanwhile their friends are married, engaged, and having babies, so they immediately they cry when is it their time? One re-evaluate yourself from the inside out. We spend a ton of time and money on the outside and very little on the inside. Then we wonder why we attract what we attract. If you won’t date you than no one else will.
Take some time to get a plan and work your own plan. You can’t simply say I want to move out of my family member’s house but didn’t include a savings plan, haven’t looked at your real budget and not your wish I could budget. You have to do all of those things and more. Step out and work your plan. Be strategic. I mean winging it hasn’t served you so get more of a definitive plan in motion.
I have shared this before but let me say it again if you want to win you will. I watched my mother who had my twin and baby brother and I as she walked us to the sitter. She then walked to work and then back to the sitter and then we got the bus home. If the bus was late we walked. We did whatever was necessary. I also remember being in a homeless shelter for women and kids and thinking to myself how lucky I was. I didn’t know that we were living below our means. I had no idea that this wasn’t okay. My mom never allowed us to believe that. She never allowed us to be ashamed. She took on that shame. So now when I see bratty kids or even worst bratty adults who complain I just smile. I know how to live and make things work when things were at nothing. Some people around you have no idea of the things you been through that will get you to your destiny. I am grateful for being on welfare as a child. I don’t take for granted. Although I don’t have that in my pathway now, I never will get too big to remember those low days. I remember when I had done some of the worst things in my life and knowing that at the time I didn’t see a way out and everyone was talking and saying I am this and that and how even with all of that I just kept on and keep on going. The times you had or will have is preparing you for what is to come. I don’t allow my very blessed children to take for granted what they have. I make sure that they give back constantly. Trust me it’s apart of the bigger picture of their life.
While re-evaluating things today, write some things down. Don’t just keep it in your head. Ask questions to the right folks that can help you get to where you want to be. Sometimes the life you think you want isn’t even the life you are supposed to have. Stop forcing a square into a circle hole. Sit quiet and know that the plan you are forcing may not be working for you for a reason.
