Now, it would be relatively easy here to reel off a few items that not many people own but many desire or aspire to add to the portfolio of their life. It would also be simple to draw up a list of ultra-trendy, state-of-the-art technology that promises to improve your life, but doesn’t necessarily do a whole lot of good (fitness trackers, anyone?!). Instead, we’ll opt for a short list of more ethereal, everyday essentials that you can’t simply go out and buy, but must plan for over time.
Acceptance
Here, we are referring to what Psychology Today calls: “The Inescapable Importance of Acceptance.” Essentially, if you feel as though your life is missing something, at any time, you don’t have acceptance. If you have acceptance, you’re missing nothing – as, at this moment in time, your life is exactly where it is supposed to be, possessions, warts and all. Philosophically, if you have acceptance, your life is missing absolutely nothing.
Peace of mind
Similarly, if you’re looking for one thing (or five) to ‘fix’ you, then there’s a good chance that you’re focusing on external influences to repair something much closer to home. Ask yourself if there’s something you’re avoiding, anxious of or feeling guilty about. Could tackling a recurring regret or fear help you to feel more comfortable than buying something that will distract you from it? Put another way, peace of mind also means: “the absence of worry.”
Focus
If you can get yourself the above two crucial qualities in place, you’re likely to be able to prioritise what you actually need far more clearly. You’ve cleansed yourself of the desire to simply improve your life without actually addressing your life, then settled your mind so that you can be clearer about what you genuinely require. Is it a new job? Something for the home? A home of your own or something to do with the people you live with? You’re now free to ask what’s really important.
Direction
No, this isn’t the same as focus. If anything, it’s more a complementary and comforting offshoot. With focus established, you can begin to look a little further ahead and plan for the future. If your problem is career-based, do you need to contact a recruiter or management consultant for training advice?
For home improvements, would rubber a specialist in rubber roofs in Newcastle or elsewhere in the North East be able to help you fix up your home? With acceptance, peace of mind and focus, you’re far more likely to have the patience required to pick a direction – and see it through.
A plan
As you set off on the direction you’ve carefully and consciously chosen, you need to make sure that you don’t veer off track. Keep abreast of where your thoughts are taking you, with regular mindfulness of where you are and what you’re doing. This way, you’ll never stray too far from acceptance, and you’ll have peace of mind more often than not – ensuring that your focus and direction are never far from where you need them to be (i.e. your plan).
To read more on topics like this, check out the lifestyle category.
