Running in Panic Mode ... Slow down and focus to succeed!
Sometimes we all end up in a situation that seems out of
control. All we appear to do is run in circles, fixing things,
and holding on to anything that we can. We try to "keep our
options open" at all times to ensure that we have a way out.
But, as we trudge through the muck and mire, we find that,
although we're working hard, we're not moving forward.
This is a common situation known as "panic mode." Panic mode
occurs when you are not sure which way to turn so you create
many different opportunities to provide a false sense of
fulfillment. In fact, these opportunities are not opportunities
at all, but are simply "placeholders" that provide a false hope
that we are truly moving forward in our lives.
--- How can I tell? ---
When you find yourself feeling insecure and unable to focus on
one particular item or beneficial task, you are running in panic
mode. In panic mode, many people tend to not commit themselves
to something specific out of fear that things will change around
them and throw them back into the pit. They spread their focus
over many different things to try and ensure that they have
something else to fall back on "in case" the world collapses
around them.
Panic mode can be brought on by many different situations, but
the result is always the same. It is a feeling of helplessness
and insecurity accompanied by the need to grab at anything that
comes our way that might provide some level of fulfillment. Many
times the opportunities or solutions we reach for are only
substitutes for true solutions. These solutions temporarily fill
the void, yet we eventually grow tired and begin searching for
new solutions.
Eventually, we are inundated with a series of mundane tasks that
do nothing more than occupy our time so that we don't have to
face the true issue. Also, since our time is so filled, we are
unable to truly commit to anything, which makes us feel even
more insecure because we eventually realize that we're not
moving forward, but are instead rolling around in a circle
performing tasks for no true reason.
--- How do I resolve this situation? ---
Resolving this type of situation is not easy. The problem is
that you have filled your life with a series of uncommitted
situations that simply keep you busy. You feel like you're doing
well, but your know that you're not moving toward any of your
desires or goals in life. This can leave us so overwhelmed that
we can't see what is truly going on around us.
The first thing that you must do is STOP. Just stop doing
everything for a few days and think about what you're doing. You
need to clear you brain to take an unobstructed look around.
Analyze what it is that you're doing and why. Try to determine
if what you're doing is truly benefiting to you and your life,
or if it is simply filling a void.
The best way to tell is to determine if one of your tasks
provides money, security, happiness, and a future of some sort.
If it does not provide you with what you need, then determine
why you felt it was necessary to perform that task in the first
place. The beginning of the answers lie right here. What was it
about that task that caused you to think that it was of some
benefit? Was it just a placeholder, or a time-waster, or did it
actually contribute to your existence in some way?
Realize that fulfillment comes from performing tasks and
experiencing things that support your vision in life and truly
fill a need in your soul. If you have a vision, and the task
does not somehow get you there, then you are simply wasting your
time. However, if you find that you're not sure of your life's
vision, then you need to take the time and figure out where you
want to go in your life. In either case, you will be able to get
out of panic mode by simply organizing your life.
--- What's next? ---
Sometimes, situation can place us into a panic mode. A mode for
survival comes to the surface when we can't get back on track or
escape from some turmoil that seems overwhelming. It's not so
much avoiding it as it is in knowing when it is coming and
learning how to resolve the resulting situation.
Sometimes things happen that throws us off our rockers.
Experiences such as death and other types of unexpected loss can
throw us into a panic mode situation because out life changes
right in front of our eyes. But, the idea is to know how to
recover from such situations and be able to move forward and
straighten out our lives again to get back on track.
In all cases, putting a master life plan in place can control
panic mode situations. You can then learn how to adjust your
plan according to changes and experiences in your life. It is
imperative that you realize that you cannot succeed by spreading
yourself too thin, just to ensure that you do not fail. You end
up being caught in a strange world where you cannot move forward
because you don't want to move backward.