Map Out Your Life’s Journey

With GPS, it’s so easy to find your way these days. I wish the same could be said for life’s journey. Some people give the journey of life considerable thought while others take each day as it comes. When we look back, we see how life unfolded and how we ended up at the finish line. But should something this important be left to chance?

If you don’t determine your destination, how do you plan on getting there? As Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame baseball player, said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”

How Do People Lose Their Way?

Fifteen factors can steer you off course. Use them as guideposts as you map your journey through life.

Bombard yourself with self-defeating thoughts. Some folks put themselves down and discourage themselves from pursuing their dreams.

Lose touch with reality. Some people live behind closed doors, build walls around themselves, and listen exclusively to like-minded people. That said, you’ll never know if your ideas are sound until they are challenged.

Try too hard to please others. When you constantly seek approval, you give more weight to other people’s opinions than to your own.

Lose sight of what matters. Some people get so caught up in the nitty-gritty that they lose sight of the big picture. Make your priorities a priority.

Fail to make tough choices. Some folks are so afraid of making important decisions, they take the path of least resistance — and do nothing.

Surround yourself with toxic people. A lot has been said about the impact that toxic waste has on the environment. Consider the impact that toxic people have on your life.

Follow the bandwagon — right off the cliff. Even though a group provides comfort and security, their reasoning may be deeply flawed. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t let others convince you otherwise.

Allow fear to stop you. Some people are so afraid of failing that they don’t try…and fail. As the adage says, “It’s not the things you do in life that you regret, it’s the things you don’t do.”

Demand instant gratification. Never risk the things that’ll matter most to you one day because you feel the urge to satisfy yourself today.

Become consumed by one area of your life. Some people focus so intensely on one area of their life, that they allow other areas to wither. Having said that, make a life while making a living.

Get discouraged by temporary setbacks. Most people fail before achieving success; the difference is that successful people never stop trying. As Morgan Freeman said, “The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit.”

Fail to leave the past behind. Dwelling on mistakes or past defeats is incredibly unproductive. Learn from the experience and move on.

Let your emotions control you. Some folks spend so much time harboring bitterness, resentment, and anger that it consumes every moment of their day.

Lack a moral compass. You’re going to be tested throughout your life. You may be tempted to cheat to make yourself look good, stretch the truth to cover your behind, or do something unethical to get what you want. (Ugh!) Former Senator Alan Simpson said it well, “If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.”

Think you’re too busy to think. Some people are so busy dealing with urgent matters that they fail to address the important ones. Take time to consider if your life is on track or if you’re heading off course.

Have a Pleasant Journey

When people are asked what they want to do for the rest of their life, they freeze like a deer in headlights. After all, a decision of that magnitude is daunting. Instead, focus on three to five years. If you’re not satisfied after that period, change course. Moreover, when you map out your life’s journey, look at every area of your life, not just your career. One way to achieve that is to pretend that you’re at your retirement dinner. When you look back on your life, what made you happy, what made you proud, and what gave your life meaning? Everyone was put on this earth for a reason…what’s yours?

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