Stop Going Through The Motions

We all fall into routines, it’s human nature. It makes life easier and less complicated, but sometimes we may find ourselves just going through the motions. Months go by, and there’s nothing really new we have experienced or done. Most often we find ourselves stuck in our comfort zone, not wanting to take any new risks that may disrupt this. New experiences allow us to grow and understand ourselves and the world better.

If you find months going by, without taking any time to deeply reflect on your life, it’s time for a change. Working on yourself to become valuable and pertinent is a gift within itself. A process of change and discovery. We find ourselves on a path, and it’s easy to just continue traveling without truly knowing where we are going.

I am at the point in my life where I am setting up my future. Prior to college, I had researched career paths and majors, and continued on the track taking courses to reach that goal. I had researched potential salaries, job satisfaction, career advancement, and job outlook. I had set myself up with a successful career through extensive research, and I was ahead of most of peers. I still felt like I was just floating through life with a false sense of direction.

I never actually thought about how I wanted to spend my time, how meaningful I wanted to be in society, how a certain career would make me feel. I had no idea what kind of footprint I wanted to leave on this world. I needed to figure out what all of that meant to me. I am still and will forever be interested in understanding myself, but I have a much better idea of my values and what I want to give to this world. Learning about my own habits and emotions and understanding how my mind works has helped me grow in tremendous ways.

I had never truly stopped to think about how what I was doing day-to-day was impacting my future. I began to analyze my current daily habits and how they translated into my future life. If I wanted to live a life that meant fulfilling and purposeful to me, I needed to make some changes.

We tend to act like time will solve our problems, or that “life will be better after I….., Maybe I will start doing that when I am older…” But really we are creating how our future time is going to be spent by focusing on how we spend our time now.
A future mindset allows you to realize the impact your current habits are making on your future. You may have habits that you are content or happy with now, but in a few years will leave you unsatisfied. Could you be doing something else that makes you just as happy now as it will continue to make you in the future?

I often think about my current habits, and how they will affect me in the future. I don’t want to get stuck on a journey that leads me dissatisfied. I want to confront the negative aspects in my life now before they continue to grow more stressful and worrisome. If I catch myself going through the motions, I hope that they are healthy habits I am happy with. I hope to be mindful and aware of repetitive days, and continually create and be a part of new experiences. I want to remain endlessly curious, exploring life for all that it offers.

How could you break away from the hamster wheel of life? What endless possibilities will you explore? Begin to make deliberate choices, don’t always be run by the daily routine you have created.