When an event makes you reassess your life

Have you had a wake-up call?
I don’t mean the alarm going off in the morning but a dramatic event that shatters your life creating moments of soul searching and the reassessing of priorities.
Recently my son was involved in a car accident where his vehicle was totally wrecked but thankfully he escaped with minor injuries. A routine drive was transformed, in the blink of an eye, into a life threatening event.
Days later reflecting on the accident he made the comment, “This was a wake-up call. I need to get my act together and start setting some meaningful goals. Quit smoking, cut down on the drinking and start a savings plan.”
At the age of 31 and being single he really was coasting through life. Every attempt and focusing on the future was sidetracked by the need to party, collect ‘toys’ and live life with little thought to consequences.
Whilst he expressed his goal to change his habits and lifestyle, his language and thinking didn’t change. The phone call to join his mates in a night of drinking wasn’t met with any new found caution but the habitual response. “I’ll be there and let’s get smashed.”
Smoking would stop when he got past the party season as it made no sense to quit now!
He had his wake-up call but the sound of the alarm faded as he habitual lifestyle took hold.

How many times have you decided on a course of action but fell at the first hurdle because it was easier to stay in the comfort zone of your current mode of living?

Sometimes for us to be able to move forward we need to take a sledge hammer to the barriers that surround us. It may mean leaving ‘friends’ behind if they can’s support you on your journey. A lifetime of bad habits have to be examined to be replaced my more positive ones. What we need to do is take a stock take. Where I am now and what do I need to do to achieve the outcomes needed to change my life.

Above all we need to be honest with ourselves. Negatives need to be objectively identified and laid bare to enable realistic goals to be set and pursued. Without an honest assessment of who you are and what are your values and motives, any effort to change no matter to what degree is just smoke that will drift away with time.

Make sure your ‘wake-up’ call isn’t wasted!

If you want things you have never had, you will have to do things you have never done.