Get out there and make it happen!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how important it is to be focused and intentional in our actions. When we are, it’s so much easier to make the changes we need to - or at least put one foot in the right direction - so that we can start living the lives that we want to lead.
If you follow any of my social media channels (or subscribe to my newsletter), you’ll probably already know that I’ve had a pretty challenging time of late. Last month, a very close friend of mine had a heart attack (she’s doing much better now, thank goodness!), but a week later I lost another close friend to illness. One way or another, it’s been a difficult few months which have made me reflect - even more than usual - on the need to live our lives to the fullest.
I know I’m in a good position having an incredible daughter and supportive family and friends around me, as well as a job that I love. This has meant that in response to these turbulent personal times, I’ve been able to immerse myself in my work. The kind of work I do - particularly when away with a leadership team- sometimes feels like an act of love and realising how short, precious and unpredictable life can be, I know that I’m extremely lucky to have the career that I do, and to be able to share my life, work and love with such incredible and inspirational people.
I want you to think of this blog as a rallying cry, to get out there and live the life you want - and deserve - to be living. There’s no doubt whatsoever that it’s been a difficult few years for us all. Added to which, many (perhaps all) of us have our own personal challenges and obstacles to overcome on what can sometimes feel like a daily basis. For this reason, it’s not always easy to make change happen in our lives, or to work towards our own personal growth and development. Not easy, but possible.
The best advice I can offer is to take some time to stop and think about what it is that you really want out of life. All too often, we simply bumble along from day to day, without stopping to reflect on what’s really important to us. Believe me, I can be as guilty of that as anyone - sometimes just keeping all of the balls in the air is challenging enough, let alone thinking about getting my ducks in a row for what I’m trying to achieve in the future. But I also know that taking a beat to breathe, reflect on what I want and think about how to get there (or at least how to get a little bit closer to there) is worthwhile.
Start by asking yourself what you love doing, and what changes you can make so that you have more time for the things that you love in your life. It could be spending more time with the people that matter to you, deepening your connection with nature, learning a new skill, finding a job that fulfills you, or starting out in a new business venture. Whatever it is that brings more joy into your life, now is the time to start making it happen.
In most cases, it’s impossible to create significant change in our lives overnight, and we probably wouldn’t want to. You can read more about this in my blog post, “Change doesn’t always happen in an instant”. But something we can achieve immediately is identifying what we want, then pointing the compass in the right direction. It probably won’t be easy - the best things never are - but it will be worth it.
The events of the past few years have taught me that we never know what's around the corner, something which has been really brought home to me in the last month or so. I plan on taking these challenges and turning them into a positive: grasping life by the horns and setting my personal compass in the direction I want to travel. I’m willing to accept that it will take time to make the changes I want to see in my life, but I’m in for the long-haul.
If you’d like to do the same, then start by spending a few moments thinking about what would help you to feel more fulfilled and happier in your life. Once you know where you’re headed, then you can take those first tentative steps. Good luck - now get out there and make it happen!
