When Your Life Is Under Construction: 8 Ways to Manage the Work

discomfort that most people never bother to dig deep beneath the façade to inquire what might need repair. 1. Proceed with Caution When you enter a construction zone while driving you notice there are always signs alerting you to “proceed with caution”. Your journey through personal growth will be rough and often unpredictable so expect pitfalls, sharp turns, and unexpected stops along the way. 2. Put out orange cones You will slip into a deep state of vulnerability as you work on yourself so it’s essential to set boundaries and protect yourself. This might involve excluding certain people from your life, or retreating a bit socially until you feel more certain about where you are. 3. Build a strong foundation With any new construction you always want to ensure that the foundation of what you’re building is strong. With your personal growth this foundation will be your sense of self. Your main focus initially will be on your values, self-perception, authenticity and beliefs. Once these are rooted you will build from there. 4. Expect setbacks Construction never goes as planned. There are always unexpected setbacks that delay progress or require a shift in course. The process of personal growth will always be two steps forward, and two steps back. Anything worth doing is not easy so be prepared to feel like your going backward at times. 5. Hire a professional Trying to do this kind of work alone is possible, but not wise. Outside sources of wisdom and expertise will ensure that you build yourself in the best way possible. Consulting, counseling and therapy will give you the trust you need that you’re on the right path, and will ensure that your work is up to “code”. 6. Find refuge Be sure to find a space in your life that gives you reprieve and nourishment. You will become depleted and exhausted easily through this process so take care of yourself and use self-compassion liberally. You should not be expected to live exclusively among the mess so take some breaks and get out of the construction for periods of time. 7. Manage expectations Be realistic about your process and what you can expect of yourself. There are certain things that will shift easily and other aspects of yourself that will be ingrained and part of your character. The goal is not to be different, but to actually become more you. 8. Invest wisely Put your energy where it matters. Spending endless amounts of time trying to changer other people or trying to make things the way they “should” be will not be a good investment of your time. Focus on what you can control, and what will offer you the best possible version of you.