Drifting along endlessly is one of the greatest burdens in life. But dealing with it is an even greater challenge. So, here are 7 simple ways to give the right direction to life. Let’s dive in.
“I want to grow, learn, create, earn and flourish with time. My dreams portray a clear picture of a million desires in my heart. All I lack is my compass. Where should I turn to? I have no idea. But soon I will.”
-Every ordinary person
This is what every ordinary person has said at least once in his life. We all relate to this quote way too much. After all, it hits close to home. The presence of a compass is essential to provide us with a direction.
Things change, people change. But what they don’t change is their desires that were never fulfilled. The reason? Well, they didn’t know where to go, and probably never tried at all. It’s a critical issue with all of us.
We give up when we realize there is nowhere to start. This lack of direction is the root of all problems in life. And what if we get a direction? Chances are it is a wrong one and we just try to convince ourselves with its accuracy only to be disappointed in the end.
We have this lingering question about the path we choose, the direction we take and the goals we want to achieve. In other words, we question the basic idea of our purpose and how we should carry it out effectively.
So, let’s shed some light on the reasons why we choose the wrong direction concerning our goals in the next section.
You can also check out the video below to know about finding the right direction in life:
Why do we choose the wrong direction in life?
A great confusion lies ahead when we choose to create our path. How is it going to be? What do I have to do? Amid all these questions and revolving around them, we fail to consider the direction we are heading in.
Most of us have the impression that everyone’s path is the same. We try to copy each other and lie to ourselves all the time. But when we don’t find success in what we do, we start doubting our abilities and question our motivations. When the real problem lies in the direction we are headed to.
Consequently, we suffer in silence, not knowing how to deal with the situation. It is then that we realize the fault in our ways. But, it’s too late. So, you can see how detrimental it is to miscalculate our compass.
“I know how to utilize the resources, take care of things, and build meaningful relationships. My only fault, is never ever thinking about the purpose of applying them or putting them to good use.”
-All those who are lost
Here are 3 reasons why most people choose the wrong direction in life.
1. We are too invested in the process:
It might sound surprising but it is the truth. I mean things can be pretty addictive once we get into the process. Enjoying and experiencing it is one of the best ways to refine our thinking towards a process.
However, the process is just an understanding of the path, not the path itself. We determine the direction of a path through its destination. That destination is what we call our goal. Hence, without a proper goal or aim, we become too invested in the process.
This leads to stagnation and rumination as we don’t know what we need to do. The above quote is an accurate representation of our struggles concerning the process and goals.
2. We lack a proper conviction to our goals:
The first point was just a glimpse of a bigger problem. You might ask, “What if we are not process-oriented but goal-oriented? Do these things still apply to us?” Well, if you still aren’t able to achieve things, then I guess you lack a proper conviction for your goals.
As discussed above, we are often too sure of our aims in life. We don’t realize what’s important to us. Conviction comes with congruence to our minds. If we are confident with our goals, we don’t struggle to seek our direction.
The sad thing is that doubt looms over our psyche and nothing comes out of our efforts if we lack a proper resolution. The ones who do seldom think twice before preparing their mind for something.
3. We do not learn from past mistakes:
I don’t want to be a drag but as elders often say, “Realize from your mistakes” is pretty much valuable at present. Learning from mistakes is the first step to have a proper understanding of our purpose.
However, it depends on our attitude towards life in general. If we are too afraid to make mistakes or take healthy risks, we don’t get the golden opportunity to learn a lesson from life.
We might be immature or naive concerning our decisions, but if we allow ourselves to flourish, we narrow down all the possibilities to come up with a fixed goal.
Now that we have discussed the three reasons behind choosing the wrong direction, let’s understand the 7 simple ways to give the right direction to life.
What are the ways to give the right direction to life?
Right direction. As easy as it sounds, the word is extremely tricky to make sense. Especially when we have already begun our journey in the wrong direction as discussed above. But as Tolkien said, “Not all those who wander are lost” holds right for them.
Sometimes our situations deceive us into believing that our path will serve the right purpose. It happens to many, and I am no exception to it. For a long time, I thought I was in the right direction until things changed for the worst.
Eventually, I had to rethink my decisions with many valuable lessons and experiences at hand. Although I took the wrong direction before, I was convinced that I wouldn’t repeat the same mistake.
“Aligning to the truth is always the hardest. We have to come to terms with conflicting opinions about our decisions, and how they affect us. Serving our convictions is the only way to do it.”
-The pathfinder
So, without much delay, here are the 7 simple ways to give the right direction to life.
1. Invest your time in finding one:
The first thing you should do is invest your time in finding the right direction. We don’t spend much time knowing what, why, and how of our aims and ambitions. Not doing so is a big mistake.
For instance, when you are free or idle, try to invest your valuable time to think about the decisions you make every day. The reasons why you make them, and what you get from making such choices in life.
Sitting in front of a TV is not going to help you find the right direction. But switching it off definitely will. Please don’t procrastinate over useless stuff.
2. Learn valuable lessons on life goals:
You might have heard many times about the importance of life goals from people around you. I used to learn it every day from my parents when I was too lost on figuring out things myself.
Yeah, life goals are important, but what is more important is the lessons we learn while figuring out one. Besides, life goals are interlinked with our direction in life. The better the goals, the better the lessons. Here is an entire article dedicated to the 4 lessons on finding the right direction in life.
We always learn something when we have an aim and a direction. The lessons are good at best and harsh at worst, but they do impart wisdom in our lives.
Also read: Why Do People Misunderstand True Wisdom?
3. Stop following what others do:
I think it’s high time we realize the difference between an individual and society once and for all. Most people blindly follow what works for others under the impression that it would work for them too. They couldn’t be more wrong though.
Our direction isn’t the result of others’ perceptions about us. It’s how we see ourselves that matters in the long run. Following what others do is going to lead us to the no man’s land. In other words, we end up nowhere.
And if you still can’t help following what others do, then here are some steps you can take to find yourself and your true identity.
4. Organize your thoughts for maximum productivity:
Thoughts can be very tricky to handle at times. We are easily distracted by favorable circumstances and lose our focus altogether. I can even express the concerns of those suffering from ADHD, BPD, and other disorders concerning their thought processes.
However, the truth is we need to bring consistency within our thoughts for maximum productivity. We can seek out ways to get the right direction using time and resource-efficient tools. It might be tough at first but things get better with time.
Another thing that we can do is stop overthinking or overanalyzing too much. We aren’t going to achieve anything by being stuck in our heads for eternity. Besides, it’s too stressful 🙁
Also read: What Are The Ways To Stop Overanalyzing?
5. Develop a proper growth mindset:
Mindset is rightfully called the game-changer of our lives. Our attitude towards our values and convictions is determined by the type of mindset we have. In other words, a proper growth mindset can bring certainty to our lives.
However, we have to be careful from getting overconfident concerning our abilities. We don’t want to mess with our goals simply because we let success get into our heads. A growth mindset affects our direction in life and depending on our determination, it can enhance our mental abilities.
But we need to know the ways to develop a proper growth mindset, right. So, here are 19 effective tips to develop a proper growth mindset. It will help you foster a healthy and productive lifestyle.
6. Try to learn from passive experiences too:
You might think active experiences are all we need in life if we want to understand something. But passive experiences also play an important role in our lives. The problem is we don’t use it as much as we should.
Actively experiencing things provide us with memories. These memories help us reflect on our past, present, and future. Similarly, passively experiencing things help us with danger zones and symptoms of failure.
You can learn when someone close to you becomes a victim in the wrong direction of life. However, be careful and don’t rely too much on it, or else experiences can get pretty ugly too.
7. Lastly, learn to make rational decisions:
Last but not the least, learn to make rational decisions if you want to get a clear idea of your direction in life. In other words, make decisions you won’t regret in the future.
Start by being a little more self-aware and introspective. Utilize your past knowledge to gather the resources required for achieving your goals. Finally, be loyal to your work as much as possible.
It isn’t easy to make rational decisions when it comes to ourselves. No matter what we do, we always end up in conflicting situations that force us to make irrational decisions. So, below are some ways to stop making irrational decisions.
Also read: How To Stop Making Irrational Decisions Frequently?
Final Words:
To sum up, giving a good sense of direction to life is a pretty great opportunity for anyone who wants to rise beyond limits. It takes a great deal of strength and resilience to have faith in oneself and his goals.
But we must not forget to learn lessons in between and try to become wiser as we travel the path of uncertainty. So, stop bothering yourselves. Stay happy and motivated.