Sometimes I want to scream when I hear yet another person use the word “unprecedented” when describing the current global pandemic, the chaos of the U.S. political scene, civil unrest, unemployment, and everything else we have to deal with in this disconcerting year of 2020. It’s a word that may have been helpful the first million times it was used but now feels like nails against the chalkboard for those of us who still have to function in this unpredictable environment.

So, while others may continue employing that hackneyed word to describe the indescribable, we’re going to be talking about more important things here using words that help us move forward. Words like decision, skills, tools, goals, planning, empowerment, action, control, motivation, achievement, progress, fulfillment, contentment, and maybe even happiness, satisfaction, and joy. This is because stuck thinking lacks originality. It lacks specificity. It becomes a boring repetition of itself because there is no inspiration or creativity behind it.

Be The Change

When your life becomes like the word “unprecedented,” it may be time to change your thinking. If you’re struggling with an unexpected or unwanted life change, whether from the pandemic itself, undesirable fallout as the result of it, or just a life that’s been less than you want and deserve, it’s time to change your vocabulary and, thus, your thinking. Change your words, change your life.

It’s easy to fall into the feeling that we’re all victims of a cruel and unjust world. Certainly none of us would have chosen “global pandemic, economic crisis, and civil unrest” as our 2020 New Year’s resolutions. But, that’s what we’ve got now, and it’s going to be with us for the rest of the year and at least part of another year too. So the question becomes, are we going to take away our own power by staying stuck, not making decisions, letting our lives be controlled by external forces or are we going to stand up for ourselves, one little thought, decision, and action at a time to take back control of our lives? We think it’s best to opt for the latter. What about you?

Step-By-Step

We know how disconcerting, exhausting, and even downright frightening the current circumstances seem. They may even be “unprecedented.” But what is true now, as it has always been true – and always will be true – is that while we can’t control our circumstances we can control how we respond to them. Rather than waiting for the other shoe to drop, the next bad COVID-19 report, or the next round of layoffs, what if we sit down and take our lives into our own hands. What if we look at the resources we have, our skills and talents, the things we are good at and what we love, and we make a plan, step-by-step to take advantage of them to build a life we choose? We think that planning our life change would be a great use of the time that might otherwise be spent feeling out of control.

I have been through the upheaval of circumstances beyond my control before, like being in New York during 9/11. So I know that it is possible to examine your life and systematically make change your life for the better because I did it. Sometimes, it is even a good thing to be forced to get out of your complacency and take a hard look at what you’ve been tolerating and accepting “just okay” rather than digging in and going for great. If you want to change your life, you have to take some action, and having a plan of action is the best way to succeed.

You Are Not Alone

There’s a lot of isolation right now and many people feel disconnected from family, friends, workmates, and even their sense of purpose. I believe that there is an excellent opportunity to connect to yourself, and ultimately others, in a meaningful way right now. As they say, even the longest journey begins with a single step. The good thing to know is that I’ve taken that step myself, and I know it’s not only possible to use unprecedented times to create new thinking, but to emerge stronger, smarter, happier, and more motivated than ever because of it. I’ve devoted myself to unprecedented life change and I’m all the happier for it. How about you? Are you ready to change your life? It only takes a single step to get started and I know you can do it.