WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR TRAIN HAS LOST ITS STEAM

How to get yourself back on track and maintain the clarity of purpose

As a result of the limited life of man, there is often tendency for people to want to experience all the good things of life all at once, forgetting that the mere thought of considering the best option amongst the plethora of opportunities available is exhausting in itself. This misguided pursuit of several things all at once has led many to experience burn-outs, nervous breakdowns as well as  destroying valuable relationships with those that matter the most in their lives.

Do you feel exhausted, having this unwillingness to move forward or possessing a sense of resentment at any and every thing? I know exactly how you feel because I have been there and I would say that your train in some way has lost its steam and if adequate care is not taken, it can only be a matter of time before your train comes to a halt.

Just like how in a Formula 1 Race Course, the drivers make pit stops in order to refuel, re-service or refresh for further laps ahead, we all need to make pit stops at certain times in order to reassess things; Even Jesus and His disciples needed to do the same along their journey- Mark 6:30-31.

My Recent Experience

Just to give you a bit of background about my current situation. I am an active member of my local church, where I am privileged to be on the leadership team whilst heading several departments. I also work as an Accountant for a company in Swansea, Wales; a job that I enjoy even though it comes with its demands as I am currently responsible for the Financial Reports of six companies within the group. In addition to running this blog, I’m equally writing my book titled “Being the Best of You”. All these are being handled alongside several other projects , responsibilities and family commitments.

So quite recently I found myself somewhat bitter at life, easily snapping at the people around me with no one seeming to do right by me. I began to ask myself what I had done to bring myself to this point, bearing in mind that I am the sort of person who endeavours to treat people as nicely as I can. At that point, I realised I was overwhelmed with the issues of life and was losing track of the goals I had earlier set in the year. I was neglecting the people and things that mattered most and wanting to jump at any good opportunity of increasing my earning capacity without even perfecting the existing ones. In other words, I wanted to take a bite out of every apple that was in the bag without necessarily finishing one.
A long time ago, a friend told me”Jeffrey, not every good thing or good opportunity is meant for you, some come as distractions. So be careful in making your choices”. At this point the statements of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:12 began to flow through my mind, where he stated that “ All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

You see sometimes we all tend to want to take a jump at every good opportunity that comes our way without necessarily taking time to assess the relevance of such opportunity in the pursuit of our God-given purposes and dreams. So in the bid not to be a nuisance to the people around me, I took the time out to reassess things and I came up with the following conclusions that I believe will help get you from where you are to where you earnestly desire to be.

1. Be an Essentialist

Greg McKeown, author of the New York Times Best-seller book “Essentialism” termed an Essentialist as “one who is constantly forgoes the non-essentials in the disciplined pursuit of the Essentials”. The Essentials of one’s life may vary from that of another but remains relevant to the fulfilment of their purpose or dream. In discerning the essentials, questions such as What Matters Most? What do I want to be remembered for? What is my purpose? are all queries that help in identifying those things that are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

2. Clarity

One of the key factors that separates the Successful from the Unsuccessful is the Clarity of Purpose. Every focused individual needs clarity of purpose to move forward. You must have the ability to say “No”. You must accept the fact that you cannot save the world, so your aim should be to play your part by contributing your quota and leaving the rest for others. It takes the collaboration of efforts to achieve a global feat. This is why the word “TEAM” connotes Together We Achieve More.

3. Take things one step at a time

The bible says that “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”- Matthew 6:34-35. This does not abrogate one of the responsibility of having a plan in place, rather I am only encouraging you to plan your steps and take them one step at a time.

4. Relinquish the burden of “What will people Think or Say about Me”

It is often said that life is a journey but I would recommend that you travel light. Carrying the baggage of “What will people think of me or What will people say” has been one weight I am beginning to learn how to offload from my luggage as I journey through life. Being a people pleaser is burdensome and sometimes can take its toll on a person, but by all means treat everyone you come across nicely and with respect. When approached with a task or request that may be unachievable or infeasible as a result of other commitments, saying “No” would not be out of place, for it is better to reject the task than accepting it, performing it haphazardly and risk being adjudged incompetent.

Always remember that we all have one shot at life and rather than people being thankful for life while on their death bed surrounded by family and loved ones, regret has been the experience of many and I don’t wish that for you. Do whatever it takes to ensure that when you will be on your death bed, everything God laid in your heart to achieve has been done. In other words, Die Empty!.

Have you felt overwhelmed lately and exhausted with the issues of life? I will love to read on how you handled your situation. Please leave a comment and share this with those who you believe will find this helpful.