Life is not like a movie or TV show where there are a consistent narrative and order to things. It would be easier if that were the case, but instead, life is full of stops and starts. There will be incredibly exciting days and weeks offset by moments where you’re bored and fidgety. In some ways, that’s good. It’s impossible to be happy all the time because one of the keys to happy moments is the absence of happiness. One of the key lessons of the Pixar movie Inside Out is that joy can’t exist without sadness, and vice versa. The same is true of excitement and boredom. You need both to lead a balanced life. That said, there is such a thing as a rut that you can’t quite climb out of, and if you fear that’s happening, there’s no need to just sit around and hope things will get better. “We’ve tried nothing, and now we’re all out of ideas,” is a joke; it shouldn’t be viewed as a viable life strategy.
A new career
Changing career fields should not be done on the spur of the moment, but if it’s something you’ve been considering for years but never been able to follow through on, ask yourself why that is. Is it fear of the unknown? That’s a valid and incredibly common fear. Every single person who has considered a life change like that has felt it, and it just means you’re a smart, emotionally aware person. It’s far better to know the risks and talk about them than to deny that they exist at all. Once you can talk about your fears, you can start figuring out how to resolve them. Do you want to work on cars but fear that you don’t have the right education or certification? Then it might be time to look into ASE automotive certification from a place like NYADI. Don’t feel like you’re too old; that’s the kind of negative thinking that will get you nowhere. People in their thirties, forties, and beyond go back to school every single day. There are even ways to keep working in your current position while you attend classes at night or online.
A new body
When we say, “a new body,” we don’t mean in the Freaky Friday sense. You can’t literally obtain a new body, not even if you have both the bank account and the plastic surgeon of an A-list Hollywood actor. But eating better and exercising more can help you feel like a new person, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Set goals, but make them realistic goals. If you start off by declaring that you must go to the gym for two hours a day six days a week, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Start slow and work your way up. Talk to a personal trainer if you feel like it would be helpful. There are a ton of workout supplements like Superpump Max on the market right now, so do some research and talk to some experts when deciding if a supplement could help you get to where you want to be physical. There are so many ways to become more physically fit; it’s time to jump in and start exploring.