My life hasn’t changed too drastically quite yet as a result of the Coronavirus. I mean aside from having to work remotely, and choosing to do so from the mountains of Utah instead of in the heart of the city of Minneapolis, the only changes that I have really noticed so far would be the lack of supplies when I make my frequent trips to the grocery store.
I guess being an introvert has its perks. When the world is seemingly up in flames, you aren’t really impacted too much.
As ignorant as that may sound, I am still fully aware of what is going on in the world around me. I simply choose not to pay too much attention as it’s all negative, and no matter what I do individually, there is very little that I can do to change it. Instead, I’m just choosing to focus on the things that I can influence, and so should you.
How To Make The Most Of Your Time
Instead of wishing the days away, why not make the most of the time that you do have in the present moment and use this time to empower yourself? Forced downtime is something that is such a rarity, that without it, many of us would not know it exists.
One thing that I have been forced to realize throughout these last few weeks is that downtime isn’t a curse like I used to think it was. It’s actually a blessing. It’s given me a chance to slow down and to connect to what’s truly important in my life, to continue to grow on the person I was yesterday, and to spend quality time with those that I love the most.
While I still work during the day, life has become somewhat of a celebration in the evenings.
It’s easy to allow yourself to get caught up in binge-watching all of the latest releases on Netflix or spending your days watching countless hours of YouTube videos, but when this is all said and done, how will that have benefited you?
Instead, make the most out of the time that you have on your hands. Use this time to empower yourself and work towards achieving your goals. Whether it’s starting a blog, building a closer relationship with your family, or just wanting to become mentally stronger, now is the perfect time to get started on achieving the things that you want to accomplish in life.
Don’t just come out of this with the expectation of going back to the same life you were living previously. Push yourself, challenge yourself on a daily basis, do something today that your future self is truly going to thank you for. You are never going to get back the time that you have today, so why not make the most of it?
While everybody may have different circumstances in life, just remember that everybody also has the same 24 hours in a day. You may have to forcefully make time for yourself, but in order to truly empower yourself, you have to be willing to make that time and your goals a priority of yours.
Get Clear On What You Want
Before anything, make sure that you get clear on what it is that you want to achieve. Not just throughout this quarantine, but throughout your life. Why do you want a different life than the one that you have? How would achieving your goals impact you emotionally and physically? What does the outcome of achieving your goals look like?
Find your why so that when you encounter challenges or lack motivation (which you will), you will have something to reflect on that will help to drive you forward.
Create A Plan For Yourself
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
A lot of the times when we chase a goal, we do so blindly. What I mean by that, is that we have an end goal in mind, but we don’t have a plan of action for how we are going to achieve that goal – we don’t have a plan driving us forwards at all times.
One thing to try is to set goals. I’m sure you have heard others tell you to set goals previously, but they are doing so because goal-setting works. Set weekly goals, monthly goals, and yearly goals. Just make sure that all of your goals align with the main one that you are wanting to accomplish.
Start A Journal
A journal is a great way to reflect. Not only does it help you to clear your mind of all of its thoughts, but it also helps you to reflect on what is going well, and what might not be going so well.
You don’t need to devote a substantial amount of time to journaling if it’s not something that your big into. Maybe just start journaling for a few minutes a day. Some things that you can journal about are:
- What are some of the things that went well today?
- What are some of the things that I learned?
- What could I have done differently to better myself?
- How can I start to create the life that I want to have for myself?
- What are some of the things that I am most grateful for?
The reason why journaling is so effective is because it adds clarity to our lives. I know that personally speaking, if I didn’t ask myself these very questions on a daily basis, I would probably never reflect on them. As a result, I doubt I would know what it is that I truly wanted out of my life.
But because I am actively focusing on these questions, I am making them a priority. When we make certain thoughts a priority in our minds, not only do we consciously start taking action towards them, but we do so unconsciously as well. Before you know it, we start chasing our goals without even having to think about doing so, it just becomes second-nature.
Use This Time To Empower Yourself
If you really want to change your life and create a better life than the one you have, then you need to get to work.
My fear is that so many individuals are going to allow this time to pass them by. Instead of using this time to be productive and to achieve the goals that they have for themselves, they are simply going to sit around and watch Netflix all day long and do nothing.
If that’s what you want to do, by all means, please do it. But if you want a better life for yourself than the one that you currently have, then you need to use this time wisely to create the life that you desire. The only way you are going to achieve your goals is if you get to work and make them into your reality.
Final Thoughts
Empowerment is not a quick fix like many would like it to be. It’s going to take time, dedication, and endless amounts of commitment. It about doing everything that you can do day in and day out to better your life because only you have the power to do so.
As we are all stuck within the walls of our homes, use this time to empower yourself because every moment that passes from here on out is time that we are never going to get back.
As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”
Michael Bonnell
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