3 Steps to Get Your Personal and Professional Life Back on Track

Job seekers line up outside the New Hampshire Works employment security job center in Manchester, N.H., on May 10, 2021. (Mary Schwalm/AP Photo)

By Desiree' Stapleton

In May of last year, I lost my job, my life was a barely contained mess, and I’d faced so much that I was on the cusp of losing my mind. But by the grace of God (and three months of therapy), I did the mental work I needed to do to heal, get whole and be happy.

It sounds simple, but of course it wasn’t. It took a lot of intentional work.

I knew what I'd always envisioned my life looking like, and I identified the actions that were holding me back. Then, I threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall, trying to figure out what would work and what wouldn’t. It was an arduous process, but once I started seeing success in certain areas, I created courses to help other people going through similar things.

By May of this year, I’d successfully put most of my demons to rest, launched two companies, published my first book (now sold in Walmart), made two 30 Under 30 lists and will be in Forbes Magazine NYC Print Edition.

Related: The 8 Biggest Challenges for New Entrepreneurs

Maybe you’re a beginner business owner or have a business that’s been stagnant for a while. Maybe circumstances in your personal life are making things even more difficult for you. I’ve been there; we’ve all been there. But it can be overcome.

No matter how challenging the situation, you can still stay on track and crush your goals. Here’s how to make it happen.

1. Evaluate Your Experiences

Something I talk about with my clients is taking the time to evaluate your experiences. Right before things “got bad," how did you feel? What happened? What was going on around you? What thoughts did you have? How long were you in the situation? At what point did you realize things were too far gone and that you needed help getting back on track?

At what point did you realize something may not be good for you? And if you went ahead with it anyway, why did you? And do you do that often? Why?

After that, you should consider actionable steps you can take to avoid the undesirable circumstances. Then, think about how you can protect your mental health in the event undesirable events happen anyway.

2. Be Proactive Instead of Reactive

It’s impossible to prepare for all the things the world may throw our way. But we know ourselves, and we typically know what to expect from our day-to-day lives. Consider the red flags you may have missed before things started to go downhill for you before. Once you recognize those, create a plan of action.

Part of this process involves documenting potential issues before they arise—you can stop these problems before they even have a chance to take root. It can be difficult work, so don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you trust and ask him or her to hold you accountable.

Related: Proactive or Reactive: Which Mode Are You In?

3. Take the Necessary Action

So you’ve evaluated your experiences and what happened internally and externally throughout, and with this information, you’ve documented the future problems you can prevent by not acting in certain ways. Now, restructure your original goal, taking this new information into account.

Think about the boundaries you need to put into place, the people who can hold you accountable and the habits you need to adopt to realize your desired outcome. Then, make sure you act on all of those fronts. It may seem overwhelming, but action is required to start seeing the results that you want.

Related: 4 Steps to Making Ideas Actionable

I struggled so much in my personal and business life, but I’m living proof that anyone can get back on track no matter how deep in the trenches he or she is. Take a moment to regroup, but get back out there and give it another go. You are capable of making the vision that you have for your life and business your reality.