Do you ever stop to think about where you are in life?
Did you take the right path?
Is this where you plan to be, wanted to be?
When I met some of my friends from school after a few years apart, it seemed that life was going well for them. A few of them were already managers, leading their own teams in the corporate world and some had even resigned from work to pursue other plans.
I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help comparing myself to them. They were my age but seemed to be doing a lot better, at least career-wise and financially. Had I made the wrong choice by moving to a different career and country?
Would life have been better/worse if you decided to go the other way?
Before you start beating yourself up in self-doubt, there’s no straight answer.
‘Hindsight is always easier than the dreadful moment of decision.’
Richelle E. Goodrich
It is easy for us to see things in the past and analyse them but the future is never certain.
There are decisions that are clear cut and easy to make but some are not obvious, especially when it comes to making life choices. Should you move jobs, change your career entirely, start a family, move to a different country, etc?
Add the information overload from family, friends, colleagues, TV, internet, and social media; you become paralysed from making decisions. Not only that, but we enter a primal state in our minds where we envision the worst case scenario from making that decision. It is human nature to get as much information as possible so that we can analyse the data and make the best decision, but self-sabotage and decision paralysis happen when there is an issue with confidence or information overload.
Most things in life become more manageable if we break things into smaller chunks, get rid of distractions, and start to focus. In fact, we are taught this in work as good practice so why do people not do the same in their personal lives?
Life starts out simple but our experiences and expectations make things complicated. So if you ever feel that things are overwhelming, just stop. Stop so that you can think. Write down the main objective, understand why you need or want to do it, the steps to achieve it, cut out all unnecessary steps, and then follow through, one step at a time. Consistency is key.
Don’t fall for the temptation to reach out for Netflix, Facebook, Instagram or even LinkedIn when you need to be focused. All of us have 24 hours but how you spend them and where you focus will determine how successful you are.
Where are you right now and where do you want to be in your life?
Are you at a crossroads or trying to find your path in life? Let’s chat: https://www.naimzainal.com