-John R. Wooden
I know that you may have trouble believing that you have any power over your life, but I am here to tell that even though you are a dependent you do. This is actually the perfect time to start practicing creating your life the way you want it. You don't have bills to pay or mouths to feed. It's true that your parents may set limitations on certain things, but if you follow the following guidelines you will feel more in control over your life. These are the steps I took as a teen to shift my life around. I grew up in a dysfunctional and chaotic environment. I believe that if these steps worked for me they will work for you as well.
- We are all very good at knowing what we don't want. Now it's time to pay attention to what we do want. No more blaming nor complaining.
- Take some time to visualize how you would want your life to be in all areas such as appearance, school performance, friendships, romantic relationships, how your parents treat you, etc.
- Write down what you envision so that you do not forget.
- Review the list daily. Minimum in the morning and at night.
- Make mini goals to start this week to get you closer to your bigger goals. For example, if you are overweight you can start by taking time to write down what you eat and when you eat. Do you eat when you are hungry? Or do you find yourself eating a lot even though you are not biologically hungry? You might find out that you are an emotional eater. I will write more about that in this blog in the future.
- Focus on what you do want. The reason a lot of people remain stuck where they are is because they keep their focus on what they don't want. When I was a teen I trained my mind to focus on what I wanted even though my environment was hectic. Things then started shifting for me little by little, Before I knew, I was living the life I had envisioned.
- Practice gratitude. Write down each morning or night at least ten things that you are grateful for. The reason gratitude is so important is because it keeps you focused on what is working in your life instead of what is not. This is helpful if you find yourself feeling gloomy a lot of the times. While it is normal for humans to have off days, if you have too many you will not have the energy or set of mind to create what you want.
- Every day take at least one small step towards each of your goals. For example, lets say that you want to try-out for track next year, but you are not in shape. Start by waking up earlier in the mornings and take walks around the block at your own pace. Also, begin eating foods that energize you and will get your body ready for more intense training in the future.
- Spend less time with energy drainers. These are the people who are negative and drain your energy. Success coaches say that we are the equivalent of the 5 people we spend most of our time with. If you spend time with people who are always looking at how bad things are then you will stay stuck where you are. I discovered this acccidently when I was a teen. When I stopped spending time with negative people and instead looked for new friends who were positive, it was easier for me to keep my mind focused on my goals instead of the doom and gloom.
I will be writing more in the future about how to be more empowered as a teenager. I hope that the above tips help in the meantime.
