When I come back from vacation, a great visit with an inspiring friend or even a long weekend, I tend to have a bit more bounce in my step, fresh eyes and renewed mindset.

There is something about stepping away from the work that gives us a different perspective, even for a moment. We’re able to stand high above the forest where we once were winding through the trail and see the big picture of how far we’ve come.

I’m energized at such times, because I can feel myself breaking out of old patterns of thinking that tend to lull me into zombieland. A place where I feel like I’m just walking through life as a robot or ghost completely unattached to what I’m doing.

It is in the moments where nothing is written before me that excites me and gives me the perspective that all things are possible.

Who doesn’t want that?

Maybe something more important than having an epiphany is the idea that we’re open to them.

If we close ourselves off never contemplating or questioning our current set of beliefs, how can we evolve? The answer is – we can’t.

We must be open to being wrong. We must be open to allowing beliefs that could be limiting us – no matter how long we’ve had them or define them as ‘a part of who we are’ – go.

Once we’ve decided we’re open to change and new ideas – then and only then – can we discover the gems of knowledge – big and small – coming at us from all directions.

There’s no way to allow new people into your home if the front door of your mind is deadbolted.

Often I wonder why I’m in the place I’m in at the current moment. Good or bad. Most of the time, it’s not because of one reason. It’s a myriad of choices that have led me up to where I am.

The sage in me must be willing to self-reflect on how I got here and to objectively determine what I could have done differently and how to move forward – especially if I’m less than satisfied with my current results. Maybe even more so if I’m satisfied.

One tool we can use, that I must be reminded often to use, is asking questions. Why am I in this situation right now? How could I have done things different in order to avoid this? What is the best way to move forward from this?

The more intelligent and well-thought-out the question, the more specific and possibly useful answer we’ll receive.

So, I guess the question for me is: How do I ask a better question?

It certainly can be discouraging for me to ask the question, but no doubt necessary when looking to gain traction in my life.

Rather two questions: Am I happy with where I am? If I continue down this road doing the same behavior/s, will I end up in a place where I want to be?

For me, that cuts to the heart of the matter.

And to be completely honest; I’m not. And no.

So, something better change or I’m going to have to re-adjust my expectations.

Either way, there’s change on the horizon.

From my past experiences I’ve found that if I take an “all or nothing” attitude when making changes in my life, the chances that I burnout and backslide increase dramatically.

Deciding to go with an extreme diet with unrealistic expectations is a way of self-sabotaging where you’ll end up defeated, frustrated and a bit more jaded from where you started.

I’ve discovered that implementing small behavior patterns or mechanisms over time that I stick with offer the best chance for me to continue over the long haul that result in significant positive changes.

It’s a long way of saying, maybe we shouldn’t bite off more than we can chew.

After all, no one wants to feel overwhelmed or even worse; choke.