What does getting your life in order mean? First, let go of the idea that you are going to achieve some kind of perfect state where everything runs smoothly and you never make mistakes. No one’s life is flawless, and there will always be curveballs coming at you. Think of getting your life in order more as a kind of maximizing of your potential. Figure out what you can organize, automate and forget about so that you can focus more of your energy on the things that matter. The tips below can help you get started.
What’s On Your Mind
If you’re like a lot of people, there are at least a few and potentially many unfinished tasks that have been nagging at you for a while. Your first step should be to make a list of all of these things and then take a look at them. Some of them will be things outside of your control; others will be minor. However, if you are like most people, there will be one or more big ones that you need to prioritize. Maybe you have to finally make a plan to get out of debt, or perhaps you need to look for a new job.
You might need to declutter your house. Perhaps you need to end some relationships, or you might need to figure out how you’re going to pay for your child to go to college or find a caregiver for an elderly parent. If you do have older parents, you may want to review a guide on filial responsibility laws as well. There are many states with filial responsibility laws, which can obligate you to help your parents out financially in some cases. Whatever the big issues in your life are, it’s time to look them square in the face.
Make a Plan
The next step is to make a plan to deal with your top priorities. Try to keep your focus small, on just 1-3 items, so that you don’t get overwhelmed. If you need to dig yourself out of debt, creating a budget and figuring out how to throw more money at what you owe, or even whether bankruptcy is an option, may take up most of your mental and emotional energy. Trying to do too much at this stage can paralyze you. If there are several important things you need to work on and you feel overwhelmed, just choose one, at random if need be. List the steps you need to take and get started.
Set Your Goals
Getting your life in order shouldn’t just be about fixing what’s wrong. Give yourself something to truly look forward to by setting some goals. Those goals can be anything that is meaningful to you. In other words, it doesn’t have to be about work accomplishments or any other visible achievements, such as running a marathon. They can even be private goals that only you are aware of. Maybe you want to create a vegetable garden, read a certain number of books or learn woodworking. The project itself is not as important as the fact that it is personally significant and that it will give you a sense of purpose.