I remember that day as if it was yesterday, when Nimo burst out on the other end of the phone, speaking excitedly, “Have you seen today’s newspaper?”
“A a a h ! W h a – W h a t ?” I responded half asleep with a frown on my face, as I was not amused. It was the beginning of the weekend. My day to sleep in late.
“Did I wake you up?” Nimo said, trying to sound apologetic—but knowing her too well, I knew she was laughing inside her heart because she knows how I love my sleep.
After pulling myself up to sit on the bed, the best I could do was to use my elbow to support the weight of the upper part of my torso, then used the left shoulder to rest my head at a tilt angle, while holding the phone to my ear. Then I listened to Nimo explain to me how one of our mutual friends, (I will call her Risper to protect her identify) had featured in the newspaper as one of the top nominees of a prestigious fashion designers’ award of the year.
I was so elated to receive the news, that I happily sprang out of bed to make myself a nice cup of tea, as we continued talking.
We were both very happy for Risper’s recognition because she had joined the fashion industry later in life. Since we met in high school, her passion had always been in fashion design. She always dressed very well and gave us the best fashion advise—but for some reasons, she just wanted to be a pilot. So, she studied for it, and worked for a couple of years with a few humanitarian organizations, yet she always felt stuck. Then one day, she took matters into her hands and did a reality check on herself, and that is when she realized that the only reason why she thought she wanted to be a pilot was to follow in her father’s footsteps. And not for any other reason.
Just like Risper, there comes a time when you feel stuck. Should this happen, do a reality check on yourself. A reality check is important because it gives you a chance to think about what really matters to you. It is a time to reflect and pay attention to what is happening in your life and your surroundings—giving you an opportunity to develop a new roadmap for your life.
According to Risper, you will know it is time to do a reality check on yourself when: a) You keep putting off making an important decision that you know you need to make; b) You force yourself to think positive about crappy things that are happening to you; and, c) You keep trying new things in your life, but always end up getting the same lame results.
Simple steps to follow to get unstuck when the going gets tough, using the 3Ds of reality check.
- Discover. Find the clarity you desire by becoming self-aware of your needs. How? By asking; What am I in denial about that I did not realize till now?
- Decide. Stop wasting time worrying and losing sleep over the same old issues over-and-over again. Instead, understand your problems and find a lasting solution. How? By asking; What are the consequences if I do not change?
- Do. Set goals that will improve your life and be committed to attain them. How? By asking; How can I change to avoid painful consequences identified in point 2 above.
Remember, we are all on earth to do the same thing called life, therefore, it is necessary to keep checking to see if your trajectory matches your goals—and you will be just fine. Much love and all the best!