Here Are Some Quick Tricks To Get Back On Track.
January 31, 2008 by CK Reyes
For the entire month of January, we have been talking about foundation. The keys to a successful foundation. The steps to get create a solid foundation. So let’s say you have your foundation in place. You know what you want. You have put yourself in first. You are using your calendar to structure your progress. You are moving along fine and then, wham! What happened? Maybe you are feeling depressed. Maybe you find yourself confused about where you are at. Maybe you are doubting the direction you are headed, you ask yourself, “Is this right?”
How do you know when you have been taken off your path? Stalled? Stuck? Do you know? How long does it go on? A week? A year? Have you been derailed your entire life? Or maybe many times in your life? Or just when the energy gets going good and then you just stop?
It doesn’t matter why or how or when or anything. It doesn’t matter. That is your story. Let it go for now. Just for today, and try something new. Here is a quick way to get back on track:
Stop judging yourself for where you have been and start fresh (everyday).
I know you are going to want to judge yourself. I know you are going to try and live in the past. Resist the temptation.
Get in touch with your dream. Feel it move through your body. This is not the time to entertain your objections.
Once you have given yourself permission to feel your passion, ask yourself some powerful questions to focus your direction. Trust that your intuition will speak and that you know the answers. Here are some examples, but use ones that resonate with you:
1. What do I need to know (or do) to move toward my best life?
2. What would I need to give up (a behavior, belief, judgment) to move confidently on my path?
3. Is this what I really want?
4. Who (or what) am I blaming for this circumstance?
I notice that I am off track when I busily walk around in circles, but get nothing done. And when I am doing, doing, doing, but not moving, moving, moving. I notice that I am off track when sarcasm creeps in or when I start complaining or blaming others that I am not where I want to be.
I keep a priority list, and when I get off track I consult my list instead of my emotions. Sometimes I need a down day, so I take it. Sometime I need a good cry, so I cry. Sometimes I need to have a tantrum and complain, so I give myself a pity party. I get the support I need to keep me on track.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Please share how you know when you are off track? What puts you back on track?
Written by CK Reyes - CK is a Life Coach, Facilitator and Cheerleader of your Wildest Dreams! Contact CK from the tab above or leave your comment below.
When I go off track and start to get anxious about it, I just stop. Then, I ask myself the question “What can I do to simplify my life right now?” instead of beating myself up. Sometimes, that involves canceling plans I’ve made - like a lunch date or grocery shopping. There’s always enough in the freezer to carry over for a day or two.
Taking the pressure off and taking a break seems to work for me. It’s amazing how you do not change the direction of the world by just opting out and regrouping. You find out that you are not in charge, after all.
We all get distracted and find ourselves off tract. Sometime, I’ll picture how I want to accomplish something and I can see how it is suppose to happen. It doesn’t always come together like I think it should. Let in the end, it came together perfectly. I learned a very valuable lesson. The sides trips are very important.
Let me give an example, I had some property that I wanted to develop. After looking at my neighbors, I decided the perfect way for my property to be developed would be my neighbor to buy it and add it to his 1200 acres.
I talked to my neighbor but he wasn’t interested in purchasing my seventy acres. So I went ahead and got it approved through the county. It took two years and I found myself going into different direction than I planned on going into. Every direction taught me something new about developing real estate, working with people or I learned something new about me.
At the end, my neighbor bought my property and it ended up being the showcase into his property. The lessons that I learned by taking action and doing something until he was ready was priceless.
Take a moment and close my eyes and I ask myself to look into all the different directions that I would possible go into. you can see
Thanks,
Checking in again with my vision and taking breaks are important to me.
Sometimes it is important to ask whether I’m not on the wrong path. This I do when the other things don’t work and I still am feeling depressed or stuck.
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I’m definitely feeling off-track today! 14 inches of snow in 24 hours will do that to a person
One thing I’m developing the discipline to do is a weekly review. This is part of the Getting Things Done methodology, but I’ve added a component of taking 15 minutes to think about my larger goals and figure out how to integrate my daily activities with my desired life direction.
I’m definitely not always moving forward as quickly as I’d like, but checking in every week keeps me from moving backward.
I love your weekly review. I have been doing this at the beginning of the week, but have got a bit ‘off track’ on it. Thank you for the reminder. And I love the 15 minutes of looking at the bigger picture. When we can create our lives exactly as we want them, I get that they will be fully integrated. You have inspired me to continue a practice that has been very beneficial to me in the past. My most powerful to-do lists have been generated from this activity, because they include all areas of my life. One suggestion is to add “morning pages” from Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way book. I call it a mind dump, and if I write 3 pages of mind dump before I start my day, I seem to have lot’s more creative ideas and always remember to put me in first. Thanks for your comment, and getting me ‘back on track’.
Hi CK, I really enjoyed your post! When I get off track I know that I am because I’m “doing” a lot but not accomplishing anything solid. It helps me to make a list of the tasks that I want to accomplish and by putting it in writing it gets me focused again. It especially helps me to make a list for the next day before I go to bed at night. I really enjoyed your post!
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Yes. Yes. Yes. I notice that I can walk around in circles for a very long time. Almost pacing like a big cat! Restlessness permeates my day. But, when I write it down, it’s out of my head and I seem to be able to get more done. I was just noticing today that when I really do well with to-do lists. I can consult my list instead of my emotions and really accomplish a lot! I can see how making the list the night before could really help me fall asleep in peace. If I have all the things I need “to-do” floating around in my head, I can’t sleep.
I’ll sit and work Sudoku puzzles one after the other and not do a darn thing. That’s when I know I’m off track and probably depressed, too. I haven’t been able to find a good method to break out of it besides calling the doctor and changing medications.
I’m working on the workbook “48 Days to the Work You Love”, and I’m finding my way at last. Now I’m beginning to feel restless to get to what I want to do with the rest of my life. Having a mission and a direction are a huge help. Now I can look at my list of goals and see where I want to be doing what I want to do, and it gets me moving again.
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Getting off track or losing focus is something that we all face to varying degrees. As with most things, it starts off small and as time passes, it grows.
I have always been a dedicated gym rat and prided myself on being in good shape. However, due to a number of distractions, it has been over a year since I have hit the weights or jogged or done any physically difficult work. I am aware of the problem ( I am off-track) but other issues are of greater importance. As time goes by, I will return and be more focused than ever.
The Law of the Excluded Alternative, states that whenever we choose to focus on one thing, we also choose not to focus on all the other alternatives. My point is that getting off track happens. We just need to be aware of it when it happens and not try to stop it, but also not allow ourselves to wander to far from the track.
Sometimes, getting off the track is just what we need to help us realize why we are on the track to begin with.
Great article.
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Great advice to live each day fresh, without the baggage of yesterday Michelle. Soooo hard to do though. I find it takes a lot of focus to remember not to live in yesterday.
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Sherri,
Having the plan to refer to is a great foundational piece. When we get off track, we can refer to our plan instead of our emotions. This is a huge support structure in keeping you moving forward. Hooray for you!
And…Let yourself play Sudoku, if you enjoy it. Just have a reference point to check in with yourself so it doesn’t turn to depression. How much time do you allow yourself to play Sudoku before you get in touch with your plan?
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