We all get busy in life with work, children, partner, family, boss, friends and so much more. It can be difficult to juggle everything, and usually because we try to meet the needs of everyone else, we end up neglecting our own needs. Trying to fulfill our many responsibilities can create much stress and overwhelm to the point where you are caught in what can only feel like a tornado.

When this happens you are caught in a vicious cycle where you keep trying to meet the needs of others. This causes stress, anxiety, worry and can affect your relationships, your performance at work, your health and overall wellbeing. When you bounce from one situation to another you are not truly living but merely surviving.

If you want to live a life of true happiness you must break this cycle. You must change this situation and become more intentional about building a positive life where you can be happy and successful. The happiest and most successful people in the world ensure that they do not get caught in this whirlwind.

Follow these 7 steps below to break free of this situation and get focused:

1. Establish your goals

In order to reclaim control over your life, you must establish what you want from life and where you want your life to go. This will give you focus and direction and ensure that life doesn’t pass you by.

2. Have a daily agenda

In the evening or first thing in the morning, take time to establish your most important tasks for that day. Include appointments and include activities that will move you closer towards YOUR goals and what you want. Even if you have to go to work, look after children and attend important appointments, you must include activities that relate to your purpose and passions in life. No one else is going to work on these for you, so you must take back control and work on what you want.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey

3. Develop a morning routine

Those who have control of their lives and are successful are those who rise early and have a routine. Instead of snoozing the alarm, running about like a ninja getting ready for work, rushing to get to work on time; those who live their life on their terms create a morning routine that works for them, so that they can start the day working on their goals before anyone else has a chance to bother them.

Successful people who build their lives use the time in the morning to set themselves up for a positive day. If you can exercise, read, write or work towards your goals in the morning then you will feel like a rockstar the rest of the day.

4. Unplug and get outside

Technology is wonderful and we can do amazing things with our smartphones, but it is so important to unplug from all devices more often. Many say we have no time for reading, writing, gym or working on goals. However, in reality, many of us waste all of our evenings sitting in front of the TV, whilst surfing the internet on our tablets and answering social media and texts on our phones. This will not get you the life that you want. You must commit to changing this. Unplug! Start working towards what you want or life will slip by and you won’t even notice.

5. Be present

The sure way to increase your anxiety, stress levels or continuing to react to life is focusing on what happened in your past or worrying about what might happen in the future. Eckhart Tolle teaches us that the only moment that we have is the here and now. By focusing on the present moment you can remind yourself of what is important and reclaim the present moment. Slow down, look at nature, dream, spend time with family, work on your goals. Because in the end emails and chores can wait.

6. Learn to say no

Many of us find it very difficult to say no to the requests of others because we fear they may judge us. We are constantly being pulled in various directions from work, children, friends, family, spouse. It can be difficult to juggle all of the needs of others, and when we try to meet all these needs we get stressed, unhappy and burnt out.

We must make sure that we have the courage to say no to things that we do not want to do and ensure that we aren’t just saying yes because we are worried about others reactions. Remember, this is your life, so be kind to yourself and take back the time that you deserve to work on you.

“It takes effort to say no when our heart and brains and guts and, most important, pride are yearning to say yes. Practice.” – Cole Harmonson

7. Become immune to negative people

In life there are always going to be people who say negative things about you. To ensure you live your life on your terms, you must become immune to their judgement. When you start taking control of your life and following your dreams, be aware that others may have opinions on that and may give you negative feedback.

Feedback is vitally important in order to improve on things but when it is just nasty in an attempt to rip you apart, they have their own problems and demons to deal with that has nothing to do with you, so don’t let it get to you. Stay focused on your purpose and your agenda and they will move on to pick on someone else.

It is easy to get caught up in the roller coaster of life, but nothing is ever produced, created or fulfilling when life goes past in a blur. Use these tips above to take back control of your life and begin to live a truly happy, successful and abundant life.

What are you currently doing to take back control of your life? Leave your thoughts below!