There are other types of activities that make us feel alive. These are activities that we look forward to, that we focus on completely, and finish having more energy than when we started. These are also the activities that we give our best energy to and that we try to make the highest quality. Energizing activities are often our hobbies, like working on machines, collecting items, writing, gardening, cooking, and so on. The important thing to remember about these activities is that they require movement on our partit does not mean watching TV or other screen-watching. Some activities we engage in because they don't require us to do anything, like sitting and watching TV. These activities don't drain us, but they don't energize us either. If your life is predominantly full of draining activities, you look forward to these neutral activities so that you don't have to do anything else. Neutral activities can also include surfing the internet, playing games on your smart phone, and other activities that involve watching screens. These activities don't require brainpower, but they don't leave you feeling refreshed. In order for life to have meaning, it needs to have purpose. Take a look at the activities that you engage in on a daily basis and evaluate how many of those activities make you feel worn out after you finish them. These are also the activities that you dread doing, having to give yourself a pep talk to get going. These activities are also ones that you find yourself rushing through and not caring as much about how well you do them. For example, if you hate your job, each shift can be considered a draining activity. Make a chart that displays your energizing, neutral and draining activities. Look at the chart and examine how balanced it is. Do you need to add more energizing activities? To live a meaningful life, the answer is most likely yes. Start by taking small steps toward achieving a better balance among these three activities. Write out a plan with a larger and larger amount of time blocked off for energizing activities every week. Over time, you will stop looking forward to the neutral activities and instead see them as a waste of time. This is because you are slowly developing a new habit and your mind, will, and emotions are being encouraged to grow. You will start to look forward to the energizing activities instead of the neutral ones because your sense of purpose is increasing. You can write this plan on a piece of paper, or just add energizing activities to your weekly planner. You are probably already thinking about your job and whether or not you should keep it if it is a draining activity. The choice is up to you. You have to take stock of things, like how much your family suffers because of your attitude toward work, and if you would be able to find another source of income if you quit. For example, if you have a family who is tired of watching you come home every day without any energy, you may want to think about getting a different, less draining job; cutting back your hours instead of quitting; or finding a new source of income altogether, like starting your own business selling the product you make (or the service you perform) with your energizing activity. You can also consider going back to school while you still have your old job if you feel that a different career would make your life more purposeful and meaningful. The important thing, though, is to find a balance among energizing, neutral, and draining activities. Being open-minded about trying new things is also important when considering how much of your life is purposeful and meaningful. Trying something that you have never tried before is the perfect way to discover energizing activities. Doing so can also help you discover a purposeful existence. You can try new activities that are easy to learn about on your own through the internet, like blogging, cooking, and gardening. You can also find an expert in your area who is willing to teach you how to do something new, such as taking pilot lessons or signing up for a community art class.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Figure out what activities leave you energized. Determine what activities leave you feeling neutral. Decide what activities drain you. Create a plan to balance your energizing, neutral and draining activities. Decide if your career lines up with this plan. Be willing to explore new pursuits.

Letting other people take charge can gradually teach you to relinquish control over time. Start small. Let a co-worker pick a restaurant you're ordering lunch from. Gradually build up to bigger tasks. For example, let a co-worker decide the agenda for a meeting at work. Play to people's strengths. If you feel the people you're putting in charge are skilled, you'll feel more comfortable letting go of control. For example, put a co-worker who's great a math in charge of budgeting for a project. Controlling people are often set off by certain situations. A great way to curb your controlling tendencies is to recognize your trigger. Figure out when you're likely to feel the need for control and avoid those situations. For example, maybe you don't do well in big group settings. You get nervous and try to micromanage what you do and where you go. Try to hang out with friends in small groups of one or two people to reduce your controlling tendencies. If you're not getting through to people, you may feel an extra urge to control. Learn to adjust your communication style between individual people. If you're able to express yourself more easily, anxiety won't bring out control freak tendencies. Pay attention to how people respond to different types of communication. If a co-worker seems upset after you give them blunt feedback, maybe they don't respond to a "tough love" approach. Adjust your communication style next time to see if you can get through to them better. Add compliments between the criticisms and encourage your co-worker to come to you and ask for help if they're ever confused. If you're reaching out to people you trust, you'll be less likely to micromanage. If an overwhelming situation is bringing out your control freak tendencies, ask your most trusted co-workers, friends, and family members for help. This way, you'll be able to step back and relinquish control more easily. Let a few trusted friends and co-workers know you're actively trying to be less controlling. Tell them you would appreciate it if they would tell you up front if you're micromanaging a situation. This way, you can learn to recognize and then adjust your behavior as needed. It's a good idea to suggest a humorous code word to use when you're being controlling. For example, they could say "bugaboo" when they feel you're behavior is too controlling. This will help you all keep the situation light.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Put someone else in charge of a situation. Recognize and avoid your triggers. Change how you communicate. Ask people you trust for help. Have people keep you in check.