Don't Ever Be Lost

I'm not talking about being in the woods and not knowing your way out, although it could be used as an analogy. What I mean here is don't ever be without a road map of where it is you are going or where you want to get to, if you don't have that then you are lost and when you're lost it is very easy to drift or become a drifter, and the unfortunate thing about drifting is that it almost always leads to a place called nowhere.

It is always important to be focused on what you want, but if you are not yet sure of what that is then it is just as important to be focused on something, even if it is not for the long term.

And it may be that you will never ever know what you want to do with your life, this is OK as there are probably many interesting people that never knew what they wanted to do with their lives. But that doesn't mean you shouldn’t have focus in your life.

For example, if you know you don't want to work for somebody else but you know you want to become a musician, then always stay focused on the 'becoming a musician’ part, and don't dwell on the fact that you are not focused on working for somebody else.

Another problem with ‘being lost’ is thinking too much, which in itself can be like walking in a maze, going around in circles and never finding the exit, it really is no fun at all, especially when you add some extra negativity into the mix.

There are ways to think that can lead to creativity and new ideas, there is also a way of thinking that can lead to very dark alleys and huge roadblocks, which is the kind of thinking I am talking about here, a type of thinking that is best avoided.

If you do start to think negatively then a good thing to do is to start focusing on things that you do have in your life. We almost always have more than we know in our lives, even if we think sometimes that we don't and occasionally get lost in our own thoughts.

But getting back to being lost, you should always know what you want, even if it is an extra $200 a month to help with the bills, reminding yourself of this will always be better than saying ‘I don’t know what I want’.

If you have an idea of something you want to do in the short term but perhaps not in the long term, stick with it, being focused in the short term will probably stimulate more ideas than admitting you are lost and don't know what to do. When you have an idea of something to do, it is best to follow your instincts and go with it. Even if it is not what you want to be doing in 5 years, it may well shed light on something that you would like to be doing in the future.

If you start to become passionate about doing something and follow it through, then this act alone may bring along its own rewards.

"It sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities but its own talents."

If you are lost in your life and not sure what you want then something will always be better than nothing. Choose something and focus on it fully, don't do it half hearted. Ask yourself what it is you want to happen from your new activity, set some goals and outcomes, for example remind yourself of what you want to happen in 3 months or 6 months time and make sure you get it, don't stop until you achieve it.

Get involved in something, don't be a drifter who is just letting life pass them by, go out, get busy, be somebody and start making something happen in your life.