Something to aim for?

Welcome to Autumn, 2017 seems to be heading to a close pretty quickly. Where has the year gone? Still, you’ve still got the best part of 3 months until 2018 starts. As you look back have you done lots of things you wanted to? Have you lived the past 9 months for you? For your loved ones, those around you or maybe a large collection of others who you wished you hadn’t dedicated your time to?

Well, there’s plenty of time to redress the balance, to get yourself to that equal first position. I’m sure as I write these blogs I end up reiterating key points, but I guess that can’t hurt! Equal first in your life is such an important equilibrium to strike. How can you feel you’re living your life for you, if you’re really dedicating your time to everyone else around you. Sure, kids, partners, and loved ones all need your time and I expect you want to give it. However, you too deserve your time. To be spent doing things you’d like to.

This leads on to my central theme for this blog, which is around the idea that I believe we need, as humans, something to strive towards. It doesn’t matter what it is that we’re working towards, but through personal and therapeutic experience, I’ve learnt that those without purpose or direction don’t feel as content with their lives. It could be work that motivates, a project, charity work or the numerous sports and hobbies people pursue. It really doesn’t matter. But without something to work towards I’ve found I and those I’ve worked with feel life is a little empty and unfulfilling.

Therefore I’m suggesting, if you’re feeling life feels a touch empty and directionless, have a little think about what you might fancy doing. It doesn’t matter if it turns out you don’t really like it, you can swap to something else, countlessly if need be, until you do find what fulfils you. When you do, I suggest your life will start to feel better and better. Even if what you chose to do is a little challenging at times, those challenges will give you a sense of accomplishment when you overcome them. If what you chose to do gives you continual stimulation and pleasure without the challenges, so much the better!

The number of people I come across who literally have no idea what to do with themselves still surprises me. The world is full of things that can be done, more often for free, than you might imagine. But regardless of cost, which is always relative, get your teeth into something. Find something to be proud of, to feel is “you” and you get satisfaction from. I suspect you’ll have to set aside time for this/these activities, but so much the better. You’ll be carving out time for you and you’ll start to feel your spending your time rather than wasting it or killing it. Time is (in my humble opinion), like life itself incredibly precious. It is in fact the only thing money can’t buy, the arrow of time literally never stops.

In a nutshell I’m suggesting the time you have in your life needs to be spent in a the best balance that suits you. Sure, most of us have to earn a living, but even so, you might be able to find a role that doesn’t feel like “work”, I’m lucky enough to be in such a position. Even if you can’t, that isn’t all your time, plus you might find ways to make it feel better. It’s amazing what some music or laughter adds to the working day, I’m sure you can find a bit of that as you go. However, you’ve still got time beyond work, this is your time to fill as you see fit. I am sure you’ll be able to find at least and hour a day that you can dedicate to you, you just need to be disciplined.

I’m not going to suggest what you could do, I’m sure you can figure that out yourself. Just have fun, have a go at things you think might be good. If they’re not, try something else. Most important though is to actually do things. That way you’ll find your next 9 months feels fuller than it has before. It’s a great feeling, it might even be a little way to cheat times relentless arrow by making time feel so full…