How to Take Control of Your Life

One of the first things that stood out to me in this book Kon-Tiki was right smack at the beginning. 

"Some people believe in fate, others don't. I do, and I don't. It may seem at times as if invisible fingers move us about like puppets on strings. But for sure, we are not born to be dragged along. We can grab the strings ourselves and adjust our course at every crossroad, or take off at any little trail into the unknown."—Thor Heyerdahl


This isn't just a drawn out long soliloquy.  The important takeaway here revolves around the narrative fallacy. How we often fall victim to it. We wait and believe everything will work out. The problem is it won't. Not unless you do something about it.

 
We often wait too long and are ignorant to the importance of time.

Now I’m not against good faith. But I’m a believer in that every action has an equal an opposite reaction. Let's say if you have a history of dating the wrong people. After a date or relationship ends you are left disappointed, hurt and in pain. Guess what? It will continue until you change either your approach, where you find someone, or the type of people you date. Things won’t magically just work out. You need to experiment and put in the work.  And the reason we tend not to put in the work is because it cost us effort, a little pain. It’s not until the pain of suffering and disappointment is that much greater than the pain of changing that we take action. 

The same goes for money. The same goes for our health.

Have faith to know that if you work and put in the time then you did what you could to see change. Not many stick to it because of learned helplessness. Where after one failed attempt, you give up and say you tried everything and anything. As a result, this pain and discomfort is embedded in our mind and prevents us from trying anything new.

I'm not trying to sound negative, but if you aren’t willing to find out and do the necessary changes, you really don’t see it as a priority to see a change in results. You don’t deserve a different outcome. Why? No, it’s not because I’m being an ass about it. It’s because you haven’t earned it. I much rather live in a world where we earn things rather than spontaneously get things just because we feel entitled to it and it magically happens.

Just imagine if your doctor got into medical school just because he believed and felt entitled to it over someone who put in the hours and work. I would freak out! And you should too. 

Conclusion

When taking control of your life know the importance of time and be aware of falling victim to the narrative fallacy and learned helplessness. 

Don't be afraid of experimenting. 

Sometimes you just have to grab the bull by it's horns.

Take control.

Leave a comment below on how you or someone you know took back control of their life. 

My name is Romario Villanueva.  Entrepreneur & blogger. I'm a graduate from Rutgers University with several certifications from top schools through Coursera. I love all things business, psychology, and basketball. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter or LinkedIn