I had a 0.00 GPA the first semester of my senior year in college.
I drank seven nights a week. During the days I would smoke weed and cigarettes in rotation until it was time to head out to the bar that night. I was lost, depressed, feeling worthless, and headed nowhere fast.
I ended up spending the summer living in a dorm room on campus because I couldn't afford anything else (I was 24, mind you). I worked in an electronics factory 12 hours a day until I couldn't take it anymore.
I quit my job. I decided it was time for me to make a change. I started searching for ways to become better and grow. I've learned a lot a long the way. I know what it feels like to hit bottom.I also know what it feels like to dig my way out.
In the span of the year I discovered my love for writing. I wrote and published a best selling book. My life is now headed in the right direction.
Maybe you're at a point where you feel lost and you don't know what to do or where to start. It can and will get better if you make some changes.
Today I'm going to share the strategies I used to create a lasting change in my life in the hopes that you can use them to do the same.
Be honest with yourself
You'll never be able to fix your life until you admit it's broken. Don't pretend everything is okay when it's not. Take full responsibility for your life up to this point. Admit that you've made poor decisions. Admit that you haven't been working as hard as you should be. You can't start over until you're honest with yourself about where you're at right now.
Get fed up
Sometimes the best way to point your life in a new direction is to become disgusted with your current one. After so many hungover hopeless mornings I finally said, "enough is enough." Strong negative emotions can be just as powerful as positive ones. When will "enough be enough," for you? When will you decide you can't live this way for even one more day? Once you make that decision, everything changes.
Ask Smart Questions
Great questions lead to great answers. Ask questions about the way your life is now and what needs to be done to make it better. The answers you come up with will guide you to a better future. Ask other people about what they think you're good at. Ask people who are living the type of life you want to live how they got where they are. A great life isn't just going to fall into your lap. You need to seek it out. Ask and you shall receive.
Find something you're good at (and become great at it)
A friend of mine suggested I started writing articles for his website, so I did. I fell in love with it. I'd always wanted to write, but I didn't listen to my inner voice and kept putting it off. Now I write consistently and my goal each day is to become a better writer. When you find something you're good at and you work to become great at it, you'll feel passionate about it.
Find heroes
Positive role models can have a major impact on your life. Find somebody you want to be like and learn everything about them -- their story, what they did to become successful, their high and low points. Having someone to look up to keeps you inspired. Their stories will empower you because they're normal people just like you. Seeing where someone started and what they did to accomplish great things will motivate you to do the same.
Know yourself
Self-awareness is crucial to living a good life. Think about what you want to do with your life -- not what your parents, friends, or society wants you to do. Study yourself. Accept your role in the events of your life. When life isn't going your way, you're the problem. You're also the solution. When you know who you are, want you want, and where your going, nobody can stop you.
Think
You become what you think about most. Never say "I can't." Saying I can't takes the responsibility away from you. Instead of saying I can't, take some time to think about potential solutions to your problems. Don't say "I'm broke and I can't find a better job." Think about ways to find a better job. Can you take an online course and learn a new skill? Can you reach out to people with the type of job you want and ask them how they got it? You can think your way out of almost any problem if you take the time to do it.
Take some form of action
People will complain about their lives yet do nothing about it. It's easy to blame your circumstances. It's easy to to blame other people. It's harder to actually do something about it. Being successful isn't a mystery. We all know what to do, but most of us don't do it. If you want to be a writer, write something and post it. If you want to get in shape -- do ten push ups right now. Do something. Anything is better than nothing.
Complain less
Complaining drains your energy and leaves you feeling negative. Even complaining about small things like the weather has a subtle influence on your behavior. It's hard to stop complaining completely, but the next time you find yourself complaining out loud or to yourself, stop and realize what you're doing. Simply being mindful of it goes a long way.
Take control of your life
You have control over the decisions you make. You have control of your guiding philosophy going forward. You have control over your reactions to the things people say about you and to the obstacles you encounter. You have the power to design your life. You have the power to move in the right direction. You're going to have setbacks and things aren't going to go your way. But if you take control of the type of person you want to be it won't matter. You'll never control your circumstances, but if you're patient, persistent, and live long enough, you can take control of your destiny.
Connect Deeper
If this post resonated with you, please subscribe to my blog. You'll receive the first chapter of my Amazon best selling book, The Destiny Formula, as well as tips, tools, and resources to help you live your dream life.