Alternate Perceptions Magazine, November 2024
When Life Feels Out-Of-Control
by: Stan Prachniak, M.B.A.
We have all been there before—when it feels like there just isn’t enough time in the day to get things done. Your list of things to do just continues to grow, getting longer and longer. Your calendar is filled with day after day of chores, commitments, and appointments. When you feel like your life is out of control or chaotic, there are some things you should examine that can help you conquer this feeling.
One of the first things you can do is acknowledge that you have limitations—everyone has limitations. You must admit to yourself that there are limits to what you are able to do. Limitations can be physical, psychological, intellectual, environmental, or social. Having a solid understanding of your limitations will help you with addressing other aspects of controlling your chaos. When you are experiencing stress because you have stretched yourself thin, then you either don’t understand your limitations or you are ignoring them. Either way, something must change in order for you to feel some relief and begin to regain control of the things that you can control in your life.
Making certain sacrifices will aid you in getting things under control. This bears repeating. You are going to have to make some sacrifices to get things under control. Remember that you are the one that chooses what you do with your time. If your plate is too full and you are having trouble keeping commitments or successfully completing tasks, then something has to change. Prioritizing tasks and commitments in life can help ease some of the stress that you feel when things are seemingly out-of-control. But only you can decide which things are the most important to you and what you believe will lead you to your true path in life. Once you make a habit out of prioritizing various aspects of your life, and sacrificing some of the things that do not align with your beliefs or goals in life, you should begin to feel a sense of relief. This is not an easy task, but it must be done in order for you to be the best version of yourself.
A simple way to begin this process is to take a look at your calendar/schedule and evaluate any existing commitments you have. Ask yourself a few questions about each commitment. Things like, “Is this necessary?,” “What will happen if I don’t do this?,” and “Will doing this make my life better in any way?” Of course, there are other questions that you may ask yourself that will be more specific to your situation, but these should give you an idea of what you are looking for. Once you have completed an evaluation of your calendar of to-dos and commitments, you should begin to see some things that can be sacrificed. This where your relief will come from.
Freedom To Change offers a way for you to learn how to examine your commitments and prioritize the things that will help lead you to your true path in life. For more information on the Freedom To Change materials, visit www.freedom2change.org.
