Practical Ways to Getting Your Life Together Even When the Odds Are Against You

Getting your life together is to start living life in a reasonably good, sensible, and responsible manner without being confused or foolish in daily decision-making.

Getting your life together is not easy to achieve, no matter how much support or plans you may have. The numerous things we go through in life can be overwhelming and make you feel like the universe is conspiring against you. Some situations and periods will make you reconsider if the whole concept of existence is worth it. People will disappoint you, plans will be thwarted, your work and love life will be a mess, with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel.

However, this does not mean you should feel sorry for yourself forever and refuse to stand up and fight. Taking back charge of your life will require a can-do attitude, and the discipline to stay focused. The good news is it is very much possible with the right motivation.

How to Get Your Life Together

As earlier stated, the battle to get your life together is a tough one regardless of how much support and plan is available to you.

The diligence and commitment you show towards these tasks are crucial because the tips below would be rendered useless without them.

If you have resolved to take charge of your life once more and are looking for different ways to get back on track, follow the suggestions below and watch your life become much more positive.

Stop Complaining about Everything that Happens to you

Stop Complaining
Image Credit – Skinnyscoop.com

As human beings, it is normal for us to talk to friends about our challenges and how it has left us feeling despondent. It is, however, important to remain conscious of complaining incessantly about these events. While our friends and loved ones might not say it, it is hard to listen to an individual who is always complaining about their life.

Eventually, they start giving noncommittal responses, and nothing remains solved. Of course, it does not mean you should bottle things up. It is now evident that consistently suppressing emotions can lead to long-term physical and psychological damages. However, you must be clear and picky about what you speak about, and you also do not have a defeatist mindset when speaking.

Endeavour to speak with a solution-oriented frame of mind. Also, substitute complaints with gratitude in your everyday life. According to research by Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, it can improve your mental and physical health dramatically.

Begin Living Your Life Proactively Instead of Reactively

Procrastination is the thief of time, stealing a lot from people. Our penchant for procrastinating important things means we forget them, and they eventually pile up, forcing us into a rush and anxiety. Some people have convinced themselves they work best under pressure, and it does not matter when a task gets done.

Getting Your Life together
image source

You should not blame yourself, though. Research indicates that it may not be your fault that you procrastinate. However, the goal is to recognize the harmful effect of this behavior and get in front of it. Start completing tasks as soon as they need to be done. This releases time for you to engage in other helpful activities. Proactivity is an excellent indicator of a highly effective person. Stop waiting and start doing.

Set Goals for Yourself

Setting goals does not have to be a complicated activity. You can break these goals down into phases to help you with achieving them. Set short, mid, and long term goals as they each help in a way. Short-term goals help you take the needed steps, mid-term goals are a great indicator of your progress, and long-term goals act as your final destination and where you want to be in life.

According to Geoffrey James, goal-setting has been scientifically proven to reconstruct brain cells in a manner that propels you to enjoy massive success. So, if you want to get your life back on track and wish to enjoy success, get that pen and paper and begin jotting down goals you want to achieve.

Avoid Toxic People

Human beings are social animals, meaning we need to interact with other people. As a result of this, our behaviors tend to be shaped by our interactions with others. The fact that this influence can either be negative or positive is why we should be cautious when picking friends.

Hanging out with negative people all the time will eventually affect your mindset, and you can begin manifesting harmful and toxic traits as well. Researchers even claim that being around toxic people will ultimately take its toll on you physically.

How do you plan to positively strategize for your life and focus on achieving your goals if you are consistently found in the company of those who do nothing but express toxic and depressing thoughts? If you wish to get your life back together, cut toxic people out of your life as fast as possible.

Adopt a Pet

It might seem like a strange and unconventional tip for getting your life back on track. One of the things getting a pet will teach you is responsibility. Being responsible for another life might be just what you need to become accountable for lifting yourself out of the despair and gloom you are in.

Studies show that owning a pet is great for your mental health because it reduces stress levels for adults and kids. You are less at risk of high blood pressure and heart disease once you acquire and care for a pet. So not only are you on the way to bettering your life, but you also get improved physical health.

Discover Your Passion and Delve into It

Getting Your Life together
image source

Every human on earth has something that gets their juices flowing. One or more activities that we partake in that light up our mood and put us at our happiest. Find what these activities are and do more of them. One thing to note though is that you should never abandon your purpose for your passion.

Pursuing the latter while abandoning the former can lead you to failure. Finding a way to balance both is the key to enjoying success while being happy. Discover that talent today and set yourself off on a path of true fulfillment and joy.

Take Care of Your Physical Health

This feels like a tip that does not need to be given. After all, we should all look after ourselves. It is not surprising, though, to find people going through a rough patch abandon care for themselves and partake in harmful acts detrimental to their physical health.

Becoming an alcoholic, doing hard drugs, eating unhealthy food, or not even eating at all are some of the things someone who feels they are down on their luck can pick up. These things, if continued over time, will have an adverse on your health. When you decide to get your life together, one thing to do is to stop them and begin living a far healthier life. You are no good to yourself in the hospital with some sickness or disease.

Start Thinking Like a Leader

If the goal is to take charge of your life once more, you must start thinking like a boss and a leader. Some are born leaders, while some become leaders by willing themselves and training for it. Whatever path you choose to take, the end goal must be thinking more in the leadership realm.

According to scientific studies released by Harvard Business Review, leadership potentials include being adjusted, friendly, ambitious, and curious. Start imbibing these qualities and watch yourself transforming into a leader. Be brave enough to try things differently, and your life will thank you for it.

Live in the Present

One of the great things about setting short-term goals is that it helps you focus on the present and the task at hand. Regrets from the past and constant anxiety about the future might threaten to derail your progress. It is, therefore, vital to start living in the moment.

Take one day at a time and attack the task at hand with renewed vigour. It enhances productivity and efficiency. Another benefit of living in the moment is the happiness and clarity it provides. There is no use worrying about what you can’t change in the past or can’t control in the future. Worry about the now and do things to the best of your ability.

Celebrate Your Wins

Getting Your Life together
image source

The final tip in this article is to celebrate your wins and progress. Deciding to get your life back together is not an easy one. Following through on that decision with definitive actions is even more commendable. As a result, you need to be proud of yourself whenever you achieve something.

No matter how seemingly small it is, giving yourself a pat on the back is advised. It could be getting over a fear, applying for a program, or just getting one of your tasks done. Celebrating yourself is good for your mental health, and your brain remembers it whenever you challenge yourself on another task.

Is There A Perfect Age To Get My Life Together?

When people talk about ‘having your life together,’ what does it mean? It means having a steady, well-paying job, a wonderful love life, and financial security for many adults. Other qualifications include having a reliable group of friends, know the career path they want to embark on, and owning a house. The determinants are quite extensive and differ from person to person.

There is no perfect age to get your act together and have a model life. Putting negative pressure on yourself to have achieved certain things by a certain age can lead to anxiety, taking desperate measures, and generally having a depressing lifes. Studies show that more than 80% of us find ourselves undergoing financial pressure at some point in our lives. It gets even worse as you advance in years, and you feel you still haven’t cracked that financial stability.

According to a survey published by US 103.5, the perfect age to have your life together is 39. This survey further states that an adult should have an established group of friends by 29. When it comes to love, 31 is the age any individual should have found and fallen in love with ‘the one.’

However, surveys like this can be ill-advised. It unwittingly puts pressure on people and communicates a negative message to them if they are past the age stipulated in the study and are yet to achieve the expected result. It is advisable not to fix a particular age for when you have your life together. Still, it is reasonable to have certain expectations for where you want to be at different stages of your life.

Age Expectations For When To Have Different Aspects of Your Life ‘In Order’

It is an impossible task to affix getting your whole life in order at a particular age. There are too many aspects of your life that come together, and these aspects work with different timeframes. The age you are expected to have your career in order should not be the same as the age you are expected to have your finances or love life in order. Below are the different age expectations for each stage of life below; but keep in mind that the ages mentioned are not the law. They are just estimations to guide your thought process and your plans.

Age Expectation for Your Career

Getting Your Life together
image source

Your career is one of the most critical aspects of your life. It is something you will be stuck with for a significant part of your life. Some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do right from a very young age, and they go for it as they grow. For others, it requires more thought and more experimentation with different jobs.

The experimentation is more feasible when you are in your 20s than in your 40s and 50s. According to Laura Carstensen, director of Stanford Centre on Longevity, 40 is the perfect age for individuals to kick start the career due to a longer lifespan and fewer burnouts. It has been argued that your 20s and 30s are the best times to propel yourself ahead professionally as you can take more risks and move from one job to another. By 40, you should have zeroed in on a career and have it in order.

 Age Expectations for Your Finances

image source

The discussion on finances is tricky as there are different age expectations for various financial milestones. According to The Balance, an individual should have started saving for a down payment on a home and securing life insurance by 30.

It is a piece of advice seemingly fit for a utopian scenario considering different factors are at play in this regard. But it does have its merits. If by 40 you have not begun planning for your retirement, things might be dire in the future. By 50, an individual should know the total amount that will make for a comfortable retirement. Saving early for retirement means you have more money when you eventually retire.

Age Expectations for Your Relationship

image source

Clinical Psychologist, Amy Kim, claims that many people do not understand getting your relationship life in order has less to do with your age and more to do with general maturity. Too many people interpret getting their love life in order as getting married and settling down.

Ideally, your 20s should be all about exploring relationships and finding out more about yourself. The expectation is that the older you get, the better the quality of the relationships you have. It indicates that you are maturing, and you may be ready for the final step soon enough. There is usually intense societal pressure for people to get married by 30, especially for women. Nice as it may be, you should remember that marriage should not be rushed. Take your time and be sure you are absolutely ready for the long-term commitment.

How Long Will It Take To Get My Life Together?

As with most age questions, there is no ideal answer to this question. The situation and reality of things are different for many people. Therefore, it is unrealistic to attach a timeframe on how long it will take to get your life together. The truth is the earlier you decide to get your life on track, setting goals, and working towards them, the earlier you will arrive at the final destination you envisioned for yourself.

However, there is never a late time for anyone to decide to get their life back on track. Each person has their journey, running at their own pace. While we cannot say for certain how long it will take to get your life together, it will certainly not take forever as long as you are making the right decisions with exemplary commitment. With patience, determination, honesty, and steely dedication, your life will be in order sooner rather than later.

Final Word

We have all been beaten and roughed up by life. Some have been knocked out and been down for the count. Regardless, there is still a way to rise and keep fighting until you prevail. Getting your life back on track requires you to make a conscious resolve.

This resolve is the inspiration needed to begin taking the steps towards achieving this. By setting short, mid, and long term goals, you have something to keep you in check and a destination. Do not worry about your age, and it is not too late for you because there is no definite age stipulated to get your life in order.

While the journey might look like it will never end and the road might seem rough and bumpy, rest assured that the destination is in sight and it will not take you forever to get there.

Joanne Lawrence
Joanne Lawrencehttps://www.skinnyscoop.com/
Joanne Lawrence is an experienced journalist and lifestyle blogger based in London, United Kingdom

Recommended

Featured Today

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness, if you've found a possible error, be it factual, editorial or something that needs updating, please contact us

Read This Next