If you want to change something you have to do something. Doing nothing changes nothing. Changing something in your life means taking action. Steve Maraboli, once said, “ Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”

Take back the control of your life and do something so you can see the change you want to see. It doesn’t mean you control everything that happens. It is valiantly moving forward with your own goals and priorities while embracing change. 

We will lay down some strategies to help you take back the control of your life and see the changes you want and eventually reap the results of your actions. 

Strategies to take control of your life

• Clarify your core values and beliefs. 

What are your deeply held beliefs and core fundamental driving forces? This will shape who you are. Just like a foundation of a home, core values provide the groundwork for your actions, decisions, and behaviors. 

• Identify internal vs. external motivations
  

  To get back on track, it helps to differentiate between your internal motivations and reconcile them with external influences. Internal motivators come from within. These are your personal dreams and goals fueled by your own passion and purpose. External motivators come from outside of yourself.  These are the goals and expectations set by other people like your parents. Sometimes they are in conflict. You need to find the balance that allows room for both.

• Create a vision
  

  Picture yourself in the phase of your life you wanted to achieve. Studies show that pictures of goals improved the odds of achieving them. Ask yourself this question, “What does success look like to you?

• Believe that you can: Overcome limiting beliefs

Be your own cheerleader. Do not engage in negative self-talk. Instead, vigorously nurture positive self-talk. It is a powerful tool for increasing your confidence and curbing self-doubt.

• Take personal responsibility
  

  Find the balance between the things that you can and cannot control. Take 100% responsibility for the things you can control, own it, and make better choices going forward.

• Let go of what you cannot control
  

  You can’t control everything. Even when you prepare and plan, some things still won’t go your way. Do not waste your time and energy on the things you cannot change. When you learn to embrace change, you’ll find that uncertainty feels a little less stressful.

• Respond instead of reacting
  

  If things go south as they do sometimes respond instead of reacting. There is a difference between the two. The reaction is when you say or do something based on beliefs, biases, and prejudices. It happens immediately without thinking, a survival-oriented and often a defense mechanism. Response, on the other hand, is when you process your initial emotional reaction before taking action. You are mindful of your instant reaction, then ensure your actions remain in line with your core values.

• Unpack emotional triggers
  

  Many of our emotional reactions are learned. They can result from experiences during childhood. Taking back control means healing from those events and rewriting your story going forward. If you want to create a new you, you need to move beyond your past self. 

• Make a plan of action (with tiny steps)
  

  Make plans and take action. Start small and really start. You can move forward with your goals if you do not take the first step toward them. Break down your goals, take tiny steps towards them, and do it consistently.

   

• Implement a daily and weekly planning routine

The LP Planner is a perfect partner for this. Plot and really tick off your activities for the week and dissect it daily. You will see that you will be more productive when you follow our system of weekly planning and do the plan tomorrow today, using the LP planner.

• Know when to take breaks
  

  Breaks are an opportunity for a mental reset. When you return, you can set a new direction with renewed energy, ideas, and focus. So, know when to take it because you need it.

Do something now and take control of your life. Embrace change and move forward. Be reminded that doing nothing, changes nothing. 

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