Featured Image Credit: Katt Yukawa on Unsplash on Unsplash
One day flight was impossible; the next day, it was possible. One day running an under 4-minute mile was impossible; the next day, it was history. One day the world went to bed and woke up to significant change.
One day military veteran Travis Mills was a military service member wrapping up deployment. He was excited to meet his baby daughter for the first time.
By the end of that fateful day, he would have paraplegia. He found himself in a military hospital in the United States, not the trip home he'd imagined.
While that day changed his life, another day altered it. A day when he was feeling depressed like he would've been better off dead. That was when he met some other paraplegics in the hospital.
That day changed his outlook. It changed his life.
You may be down or feeling depressed. Unable to move. A relationship is ending. An important person in your life is passing away. Your business is going bankrupt.
All valid reasons to stay in bed. All understandable excuses to lounge around and do nothing.
What about Muniba Mazari? One day she was a non-disabled wife who had many unfulfilled dreams. The next day she was lying paralyzed in a hospital bed. You can find her story on Goalcast.
Her husband had abandoned her after the car accident. He ran away rather than help his suffering wife.
Lay in that hospital bed; doctors were touting how lucky she was to be alive. She didn't feel lucky.
Alone in her hospital bed, she thought dark thoughts. Until one day, she made a choice. She had put her dreams of painting on hold to be a wife and live the traditional life her parents wanted.
Now she could live the life she'd always wanted. Despite doctors saying she'd never be able to paint, she found a way.
One day she was lonely and depressed. The next day she was determined and committed. Now she shares her art and her story of redemption and survival.
We don't ask for all the situations in our lives. We can determine how those events change our lives. We don't always choose the direction our lives will bend.
Here are some ways to make this the day that changed your life.
Focus on Why
For Travis Mills, the strength to continue living was for his daughter. To raise her and walk her down the aisle.
For Muniba Mazari, it was her painting. Something that brought her so much joy despite the reality of her new life. To share her feelings with others in a unique way.
Life may force your way to change. It may have been one thing, but circumstances shift. Consider where you are now. Think about what is most important to you.
Stay focused. No matter what life throws your way, your why can pull you through. A strong reason why you must push forward will help you when things seem at their darkest.
Routines are Your Friend
While the above stories highlight instant change, most change occurs over time. Consistency opens the door to a day that could change your life.
You practice singing your entire life. Friends and family admit you have talent. You're shy, and keep it to yourself. But you keep practicing and keep your skills sharp.
One day you decide to audition for Britain's Got Talent. The world awoke to the impressive vocals of Susan Boyle.
It is routines that sharpen your skills. The more you stick to your routines, the better your chances when your opportunities come.
In some cases, it is the routine that gets people's attention. Your commitment, like Ultramarathoner David Goggins, inspires millions.
His routine is the inspiration. Wherever you land, routines can help you prepare for the day that could change your life.
Keep Going
The common thread of all successful stories is never to quit. Focus on your why and create routines. In the end, those things aren't always going to be enough.
There may be times when things get tough. Nothing is going right, and you're heading in the wrong direction.
In those moments, it is essential to keep going. To keep moving forward. Even if it feels like you are only moving centimeters at a time.
In life, no one moment lasts forever. Good or bad, moments come and go. Sometimes they last for long periods. Ultimately, they melt away, and life changes yet again.
No matter how difficult things may feel, there is an end. You may not be able to see it, but it will end.
Keep moving until you are safely through.
What's Next?
You never know what day will change your life. What events transpire to change or alter the direction of your life?
While you cannot control these events, you can control your response.
Focus on why you keep pushing forward. For family? For a friend? For a goal? An idea? What keeps your engine running?
Keep a routine. Routines can help establish habits to help you keep moving forward. Take your mind off the negative by setting up consistent routines.
Finally, keep going. Despite our why and routines, sometimes the fight gets difficult. The pressure can overwhelm. In those moments, it is vital to keep moving forward even if you don't feel like you're going anywhere.
One day you'll be your usual self, and on another, you will become someone different. A better version of yourself. It starts in mind and continues through your actions.
Is today that day? Are there any techniques you use in those difficult moments? Keep working, keep grinding. Please feel free to share.