Mike "Pops" Klumpp

I began offering some tips for gaining control over situations in life. Step 1 was to face life as it is, not as you wish or want it to be. See things as they are in order to begin getting control. Step 2 instructed us to get rid of all negatives. Some negatives are obvious. Some take some deep souls searching and self-assessment. When you find them, they gotta go.

Step 3 – Be proactive.

We can generally divide action into three categories: inactive, reactive and proactive. We are often rendered inactive in our response to depression. We are often frozen in the headlights. But this is not where we want to be. Once we have identified the landscape and seen things as they are, we are ready to form a response.

Getting rid of negatives is an effort to clear the path of obstacles. Once the obstacles have been addressed, we are ready to act.

Reaction is a response to a stimulus. Sometime a reaction is the right response. However, in gaining control, we want to dismiss actions that are controlled by some outside element. We want to act in a way that aligns with our own desires. Proacting is a response to do what we desire. We want to gain control. We want to move things forward toward our goals and desires.

Helps to insure we are acting appropriately might include writing down our goal. The greater percentage of people who reach their goals, write them down. Why? Clarity, memory, commitment, tracking – all these are aided by the simple act of writing goals down. Another help is communication. Tell someone. Don’t ask, you’ll get too much information and run the risk of being frozen in your tracks overthinking the issue. Tell someone reliable “This is what I am going to do…” It is not about their response but accountability.

Begin taking steps that give control back into your own hands.

Once we are doing something positive and no longer stuck and feeling defeated, the momentum will work to carry us forward. Make a mistake? Fix it. Need to make a change in direction? Do it! Make adjustments moving forward.

1. Face life as it is
2. Remove all negatives
3. Be proactive

We will continue this series intermittently as we go through the season and start the new year. Pops says “Have a wonderful holiday!” See you next post and thanks for reading.