Day 144: Life And Chaos

Sometimes things seem to get so out of control and can come to seem quite chaotic. No matter what you do it seems as if you were running at break neck speed down a hill with no way to stop. There are just days, weeks, months, that just feel this way and it is possibly the worst feeling there is.

Unfortunately, I have reached this point in my life at the moment. I felt this way a lot last year and had done a really good job about getting ahead and getting things done. But I'm not doing too great in this area, if I am being completely honest. If we do not take charge of our lives, life will take charge of us. We can go from being on top of things and knocking things out when we let one little thing slide and before we know it life is dragging us along by our ankles. All it takes is one little trip up and we're out of the saddle. And it is the worst feeling.

However, when this happens it is not the end of the world. You do not have to continue on like this. You can definitely get back on top of things, it just takes a lot of hard work and dedication in order to get back on top. It will be a hard battle to fight, but it will be worth it in the end. It always leads to peace of mind and comfort in knowing you are running your life.

When life feels out of control the best thing you can do is to simply acknowledge the fact that it feels that way. Too often we just continue on while everything is rushing past, claiming that it will get better in the future. Or we ignore the chaos because we tell ourselves that it's just a phase. Denying the fact that life feels chaotic right now will only lead to more chaos. Accept the fact that it is crazy so you can overcome this period.

Once you have accepted the fact that life is a little chaotic in this period, figure out why. Either mentally or physically on a piece of paper (I would highly suggest physically) write down all the reasons why you're feeling so behind. For me, it's because I'm a) spending too much useless time on social media and b) not getting to bed at a reasonable or consistent time every night. There are many other reasons as well, but identify the biggest ones and be aware of what they are.

Now that you have identified what is causing this chaos, figure out a plan of action for removing such factors from your life. Cut something out, add something in, adjust the times of when things are done, etc. Figure out a way to cut out the chaos and add in the peace by addressing the areas that are pulling you behind. In my case it might mean putting my phone further away from me during the day and putting it away at a certain time each night. And in order to get to bed earlier I could set an alarm for both when I should get into bed and when I should turn out the light.

When you are able to take on the chaos step by step you have a better chance of getting back on top of your life. Take it slowly and remember that the biggest challenge is acknowledging the fact that you are being dragged by life. Once you realize what is happening you are on a path of overcoming your obstacles.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt