How to Stay on Course

By Kimberly Swanson "Purpoz", MS Psychology, CNA

Have you ever felt like that you are getting off course?  I know I do and it is so easy to get off track.  Sometimes the hardest part is to get back on course and heading in the right direction. There may be times when you may feel so consumed with your life that you sway from your purpose.  Weighing studies, family responsibilities, a job can be pretty tough.  I know because I am in the same boat.

What do you do when you become sided tracked and all of your plans are not flowing?    The following are some things that you can do:

•            Take a closer look to see where you went wrong.
•        Formulate some ideas on how to fix it.
•        Think about how you avoid it in future.

The first step is to take a closer look of where you went wrong.  How did you get off track?  For example, my biggest problems with studying are that I sometimes go into a tangent and procrastinate on assignments.  I go into a tangent when I focus on other things such as watching TV instead of focusing on things that are time sensitive such as reports. A tangent can be any distraction that takes you off course such as hanging out with friends or playing video games when you have more important matters that needs to be handled. If tangents are constantly left unchecked, it can lead to procrastinating and causing students to fall behind in their assignments.   

Another step is to formulate some ideas on how to fix the problem.  Now lets look at my problem of going in tangents with the TV.  The solution I formulated for my problem is to have more discipline and to stay on schedule. Instead of running to the TV when I have to work, I would plan to do it when it is more feasible to do so.  

The last step is to figure out a way to avoid getting off course.  Once I figured that going into tangents causes me to procrastinate on my assignment, I knew that I had to do something to keep it from becoming a negative habit.  I started to implement a new regiment of following a do list or a schedule.  And once I completed my tasks, then I would have free time to do other things. 

Is it possible to stay on course?  Yes it is, and once you do, you become more balanced.  Staying on course is more than just working, taking care of family, studying and doing your school work, it is an intricate part of your life. Once you have mastered the art of staying focused on your purpose, then you able to accomplish great things regardless of what obstacles that may come your way.  Yes, you can succeed!:)

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