How to Deal with Dissatisfaction

Life can be wonderful, imperfect, messy, infuriating, and amazing all at the same time. Your short-term goals can help you to achieve your long-term goals. For example, a short-term goal might be getting a degree, certificate, license, or a temporary job in order to achieve a long-term goal involving the career of your dreams.

Occasionally, unexpected events or changes may hinder or block your progress toward your goals. These events could include life transitions, such as births, relationship beginnings or endings, job layoffs, financial setbacks, illness, injury, abuse, trauma, war, or death. Any of these could cause you to feel stuck and dissatisfied with your life. Or your responsibilities and routines could bring a sense of boredom or being trapped in a rat race with seemingly little freedom. How do you deal with dissatisfaction?

Even though it might not seem like it, you always have choices. Your life can be compared to a farm. If it is growing seeds of dissatisfaction, discord, or conflict, you might not like the crop. Here is a reminder of your power over your life choices. If you don’t like the crop, change the seeds. As you know, it takes time for seeds to be planted and nurtured before they can grow into full-fledged fruit, vegetables, or flowers. You might not experience instant changes. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Allow enough time for the natural process of planting, germinating, growing, and full fruition of your choices. If you plant new choices a little at a time in manageable chunks, you can experience steady progress and avoid burnout.

You can always change your choices and plant the seeds of your dreams. Follow your bliss. If you need assistance in weeding out what does not work in your life and planting seeds of new beginnings for better choices, please call me for an appointment at 512.687.3436.

~Linda Eldredge, Ed.D., Psychologist

www.drlindaeldredge.com