Are You Putting Your Life on Hold?

Do you ever just feel like you’re putting your life on hold? Maybe you’re waiting for the perfect time to do what it is you’ve always wanted to do. You might think you need to get yourself to a better career position before you can have fun. Perhaps you don’t think you deserve to take time for yourself when there are so many things that your family needs. Regardless of your reasons, putting your life on hold and waiting for someday to do the things you aspire to is rarely a good idea.

Here's a fact, we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. Holding out for the “right time” usually just ends up costing happiness and fulfillment. Instead, decide what it is you want out of your life and take action steps to get it right now. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Take a look at the following suggestions to get started living your best life now:

Take Time to Dream
Many of us say we’ll wait until a better time to go after what we want, but we may not even know what it is that we’d like to see in our lives. Therefore, your first step is to take some time to dream. Think about the things you want. Make lists. Let yourself dream big. Write down your short-term and long-term goals.

Clarify Your Vision
Once you have some ideas, start to narrow things down. Get clear about the goals you want to meet first and seem to be the most accessible or easiest to reach; at least the easiest to begin working on now. Write them down and commit to working toward them.

Create a Map
Now you’re ready to create a framework or draw a map for how you’ll reach your destination. Decide how you’re going to obtain the things you want. Write down the steps you plan to take. Come up with a reasonable time frame in which to arrive at each step. Decide on milestones to mark your progress. Doing this will help keep you on track.

Take Action
It’s time to start bringing your plan to life. Decide on which actions you need to take right now to begin making progress toward the goals you’ve set. Grab your calendar and write down guideposts for these steps so that you know what you should be working on at each stage of the journey.

Have Fun
Finally, be sure you’re striving to enjoy these steps along the way. This isn’t another to-do list that has to be a chore. This is your life plan, and it’s meant to be a joy. Double check your action plan to make sure there are fun activities included, and always take time to celebrate those milestones. No matter how small you may think it is, it is very important that you celebrate your victories.

Keeping these steps in mind as a model for moving forward will help to ensure you’re no longer putting your life on hold. You now have a plan. As you start to work it, you’ll notice your outlook improving and your satisfaction levels rising.