No matter how focused or driven you are on achieving life goals, you can easily find yourself directionless or lost. In addition, having to deal with an unexpected situation suddenly can throw your finely balanced inner compass off-kilter, especially if it also triggers emotions that overwhelm you.
How To Get Your Life Back On Track
Your inner compass is your personal GPS, which is programmed to navigate you directly towards the things that make you feel happy, fulfilled, and glad to be alive. It incorporates your core self, highest values, and your purpose in life. This helps set life in the right direction.
Before you panic and spiral into a mood of gloom that takes you completely off course, take a moment to breathe deeply and to acknowledge what’s going on… A temporary setback doesn’t have to be a permanent pit stop. It’s possible to re-calibrate your inner compass so that you get back on track to following your passions, purpose, and dreams without having to take a lengthy detour.
From time to time, you’re likely to encounter obstacles, challenges, and problems that steer you away from your path. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to avoid these minor hurdles as you navigate your way to success.
Sometimes it’s necessary to backtrack to gain a different perspective or valuable insights that provide you with a shortcut solution. Periodically, you may need to rewire your internal compass so that you can get back on the path towards your true north.
Start Where You Are
Your inner compass guides you toward your goals and ambitions, passions, life purpose, and dreams. However, it can only do so when you know where you want to go in life and what you want to achieve. Once your GPS is programmed with details of the things you love and bring you joy, it identifies the route you need to follow and steers you towards people, places, and situations that benefit your destiny.
When your inner compass is out of whack, and you find yourself stuck in a rut, you need to stop spinning your wheels so that you can get back on track. Then, you can restart your journey from where you are countless times over.
Although you may feel that you’re backtracking, the re-start process is essential if you want to move forward with gradual momentum. Focus on your inner compass, and let it show you the way to your true self.
Get Yourself Grounded
The therapeutic technique of grounding (or earthing) your body enables you to feel connected and rooted to the Earth. Grounding yourself can help release negative emotions, like anxiety, to focus on the present moment. It completely alters your lifestyle if you allow the changes.
There are many ways in which you can experience a breakthrough via grounding:
- Focus on your breathing – paying attention to every slow in and out-breath
- Place your hands in warm (followed by cold) water, and notice how it makes your skin feel
- Visualize roots attached to your feet, burrowing deeply into the Earth
- Close your eyes and tune into your surroundings
- Listen to a favorite piece of music, as if for the first time
Grounding makes you feel calm and relaxed, and ready to get back on track.
Reset Your Foundation
When learning how to get your life back on track, you start with the foundation of who you are. Your foundation comprises your highest values and core beliefs. Values are the principles that give your life true meaning and that encourage you to persevere through adversity so that you reach the goal’s finish line. To plan the best life direction to take on your path, you need to identify and clarify these fundamental principles that act as a compass.
To confidently navigate the endless series of decisions that you’ll need to make on your journey, it’s important to be clear on what matters the most to you. Besides letting others know the kind of person you are, your core values also provide you with helpful guidelines to steer your actions in the right direction.
Write a list of the things that fill you with joy and make you feel energized and fulfilled. Then, consider how you want to spend your time, energy, and money – create balanced life tips. Finally, think about your experiences and what you would like to achieve in life, and the legacy you want to leave behind.
If you need help in identifying (or choosing new) core life values, here is a selection to get you started:
Compassion; health/vitality; creativity; autonomy; financial security; love; joy; gratitude; freedom; learning; intimacy; accomplishment; success.
Your core values are a major determinant of your career choice and work-life balance, the kind of life partner you pick, and how you live your life. By resetting your foundation, you can jump-start a life that feels stagnant or off path.
Keep The Pace Slow And Steady
There’s no need to rush when you’re getting your inner compass back on track. In fact, keeping the pace slow and steady will greatly benefit you.
Practice mindfulness, meditate or go for a stroll to slow down racing thoughts. Energize your body with nutritious foods that support your health and wellbeing. Savor each mouthful and sip. Make steady progress by taking baby steps towards your goals.
Take Action
Your core values will help you determine the type of action you need to take to match the swivel of your inner compass.
Daily, list your core values and assign each one with an appropriate task.
If your values are Love, Joy, and Freedom:
- Practice unconditional love when dealing with a difficult person
- Experience the pure joy of losing yourself in the flow of a creative project or hobby
- Empower yourself by enjoying the freedom of hiking in nature or dancing like no one is watching
Each action step that you take will support you in getting your life back on track.
Define And Refine As You Go Along
Even though, at times, it may not feel so, you are in charge of your destiny. To make continued progress, you have to be prepared to push on regardless of whatever gets in your way. Defining and refining your core values and goals will help you cover the most ground as you move forward.
To avoid slip-ups or to have to backtrack, don’t let others distract you from your focus. Instead, practice self-love and let your inner compass guide you towards the people waiting to support you in the quest to achieve your goals. Learning how to get your life back on track is a process that will take small steps.