Starting Over After Hitting Rock Bottom

Have you ever hit rock bottom and struggled to start again?

I'm sure you've had times in your life when things didn't turn out as expected, envisioned, or desired. In fact, earlier last year when things didn't work out as I had planned, I was so jammed up and confused; and frankly I didn't know what to do. It felt like several walls were closing in on me. And I felt like a loser, both professionally and personally. Thanks to God, things turned around.

I did some things which I will share with you that helped me get off that slippery slope. Now one thing I kept doing was my work. I kept writing and creating. It was safe, and something I could always go to, to escape the pressure of my reality at that time. I also made a conscious decision to take a step back and relax. And I remember that sometimes, even when I didn't want to chill and watch TV - I just did it!

I was deliberate about pacing myself and taking things one step at a time. Now, maybe at the moment you don't have your specific work?to do, or even a job to go to, but here are some profound steps that can help you start over again, make it through the tough times and get back on track in your life and business.

The first step is to Let Yourself Be Real.

Sometimes we come against obstacles or problems that stop or impede our progress. But too often, for fear of being seen as vulnerable, we pretend and hide those difficulties. Being vulnerable proved to be a powerful key in my turnaround during my period of uncertainty. When I realized that I needed help, I reached out for support and encouragement from my family and a few good friends. Doing this reassured me that I wasn't alone.

You've got to remember that you still have some people who can help you power through your low points so that you're not stopped from moving forward by those temporary lulls or setbacks. And it's up to you to reach out to them to help push you forward, so that you wind up ahead. If you go through life knowing that while you can't change what's been done, you can choose to deal with it by asking for help - you're going to make peace with your failures and move forward.

And someday, you're going to say, "I was able to advance through and over my obstacles faster because I allowed myself to be seen and helped by others. Sharing your difficulties is the bravest thing you can do.

The second step is to Develop A Vision For The Future You Want To Create.

Ask yourself, "What kind of future do I want to create?" Rosabeth Moss Kanter said, that "A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more." Create a picture of what you want to do and where you want to go. And use the advice from your trusted sources to get super clear on your vision and direction. If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you've got there?

Here's something I want you to know: Vision Is Critical! If you never settle on a vision for your life, you will always find yourself living the dream of someone else. So remember, it is impossible to achieve your personal dreams by embracing someone else's vision as your own - whether it be a family member, a friend, your employer, or society as a whole ??????. What you need to do is to start by exploring your core values.

What I mean by that is, you need to take stock of your life and review the things that are most important to you. How do you want to spend your days going forward? Figuring out the vision for your life is your job, not someone else's responsibility. So go ahead and develop your vision - and Be Firm On It.

If you know me, you'll know that I'm mostly about sending out super-positive vibes and helping people to build their confidence slowly, but surely. And developing a vision for the future is an area that affects everybody's life. So asking yourself the powerful question of how you want to spend your days going forward will help you immensely when developing a vision for your life which will also help you build your confidence.

The third step is to Make A Plan Of Action.

Vision is where you want to go, action is what gets you there. And so your strategy must be based on "action", not on the outcome.??The reason is, the outcome is not always directly under your control, but action is. When I became specific about where I wanted to go, I made a quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily plan of action of how I was going to get there. I believe that if I take the right actions, results come as a by- product of those actions.

A lot of what's holding you back from creating a plan and taking action is either overestimating your ability to define your actions or underestimating your ability to lose focus on actually executing your plan. And if you really break it down, you will find that what could really be at play is FEAR ????. The fear of not being able to articulate what needs to be done, and fear of having to physically?implement and accomplish every aspect that makes up the plan.

The thing is...fear doesn't really exist. It's a product of our imagination, and therefore, is a choice. The only thing that should exist is your goal or objective. So the trick is to decide what you want, and then focus on the actions you can control to get there.??The keywords here are: Focus On Action. In fact, I read an article on Medium, titled: "Focus On Action, Not On The Outcome." that specifically addresses this.

Focusing on action means persisting in doing what needs to be done. Even when the outcome is not what you expect. So you've got to always ask yourself, "Am I doing my best, regardless of whatever the outcome is?" For example, are you doing the hard work and putting in your everything? If Yes. You're on track. Continue to put in the hard work, continue to focus on action, and keep going, even when the going gets tough.

And you will succeed, eventually!

The fourth step is to Decide To Keep Moving Towards Your Vision, No Matter What.

It's no wonder - that things don't always go as expected. So commit to doing whatever it takes to stay on your game. It's like playing Monopoly. There are many variables that work independent of your control or wishes. Things will not suddenly become sunshine and roses while you're in your day-to-day grind but you should persist, no matter what. The key to persistence is to take things one step at a time. ????

This is so powerful because you can't do everything at once. Life is a journey and it serves to do one thing at a time. If you want to start exercising for example, you can't do all of your workout in one session. So ask yourself, "What baby step can I take today?"??And then do it, no matter how small it seems - Just do it! Then the next day, do something else - do a little more if you can. And before you know it, you'll be pushing yourself a bit more.

So focus on taking little steps that will motivate you to keep taking more steps. And in no time, you'll find yourself inches away from where you started. Planning is what gets you started, persistence is what keeps you going. The exciting thing is, it's not just about where we're going, but in the process who we're becoming.?

Before I wrap up this article, I'd like to share with you a beautiful quote by Napoleon Hill. He said:

"Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle."

And that's what I have for you for now. Now my question for you is:

Have you ever faced struggles that made you feel like giving up??

What did you do to work through the tough times?

I'd love to know, so leave a comment below. You can watch the video version of this article on my YouTube channel 'Otaosese' and share it with your friends and loved ones. Be mindful and stay grateful in this season and always. Thanks so much for reading, till next time!