Stop!

It’s that lightbulb moment, when you admit to yourself that something needs to change. It’s that moment that allows us to feel free of the restraints of a bad, negative or disheartening situation. Time to move on, time to free yourself of the worry of trying to fix something you can’t fix. Time to take the leap to make a change. That leap could be changing a job, getting out of a damaging relationship or removing yourself from a situation that you know will only continue to make you unhappy.

Making life changing decisions isn’t easy, the thought of it could be excruciating. It may be fear of the unknown that holds us back. What if the unknown was actually going to prove to be the best decision you’ve ever made, is it worth not trusting your instincts and giving it a go? Of course it is - what’s the worse that can happen? You end up back at square one and you simply search for another solution and take another direction. Eventually that stopping and searching moment may prove to be the thing that leads you to a happier and healthier life .

Get ready:

You’ve made that leap and you’re now in that limbo stage. That part of a challenge that is full of preparation and questions . What if I make the wrong choice, what if I fail, what if I don’t achieve what I set out to do?

The whole reason for this stage is to set our mind straight about our plan of attack . Now that you’ve actually made the decision to make a change, start a list - jot everything down that you want to achieve. From the sublime to the ridiculous . Don’t worry if some of those challenges seem silly, no one will need to even know about them. It’s your list, it’s personal, keep it to yourself. Once you have your list, it’s time to get serious. Be ruthless about the things you know you can achieve and those that will only prove to be a struggle and hold you back. Prioritise your way forward. What’s most important to you and are these things achievable ? Once you establish this list of priorities , you’re ready for the next challenge.

Go!

Now you can go for it. You’ve recognised the problems in your life, you’ve had a good chat with yourself and sorted out the things you really want to achieve . Now you have to put all that soul searching into action - happiness and satisfaction will follow; all that is left is to do it!

Stick to your realistic list (the one that you sifted out the ridiculous and were left with the achievable), maybe even set yourself a timeline for prioritising all the things you want to change about your life. Don’t get hung up on this though, you never know what might leap out in front of you. Every opportunity , even the ones you never thought possible, are worth considering and your hold timeline could go out the window. Just keep your eyes and mind open , be realistic and stay on task . Seek help and advice - don’t be afraid of needing someone to point you in the right direction, mentor you or simply be there as a sounding board.

Don’t get distracted by procrastination - focus and get stuck in. Once you bite the bullet, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to make those changes.