7 Easy Steps to a Happier Lifestyle
It’s never too soon to start thinking about what you want your life to look like. Do you want your days to be more productive? Do you want to explore new hobbies and find new activities for the weekends? Maybe it’s time for a change – either in your career or lifestyle.
Below are seven steps that will help you to bring about the kind of changes and results that you’re looking for. They can help you to reach your short-term as well as long-term goals.
1. Start with Yourself
Before you can change anything else, it would be helpful to take a look at yourself. You’re the most important stakeholder, and you will be the only one responsible for your life. Whatever you decide to change or not to change, you will be the one to bear the consequences of your decisions.
Don’t simply accept all of the things that may not be working out in your present situation – instead, examine your circumstance and then make a list of all of the things you would want to change. This may take some time, but it will be well worth your effort.
2. Ask for What You Want
After you’ve made an overall list of the things you want to change, ask yourself some specific questions. For example:
- What exactly do you want to change about that given situation, and how realizable is it?
- What do you want your life to look like after implementing those changes?
3. Dream Big!
You’re probably well aware that you might not be able to achieve everything on your list of goals, but that should not keep you from dreaming BIG. Life is about compromising, but before you compromise, reach for your dreams – whether you are dreaming about starting a new business or wanting to get back in shape.
4. Be specific
If you want to make a major change in your life, for example regarding your work, many decisions must be made beforehand. Let’s say you want to quit your current job and open up your own flower shop. You might have some great ideas already and plenty of motivation – but for this to become more than just a dream, you need to put that plan into action.
You’ll have to come up with a concrete business plan, find a location, hire staff, buy equipment and supplies, and develop a marketing strategy. The clearer and more specific you can be, the better. Or if you’re planning on getting back in shape, you need to find a great fitness studio and make time in order to work out regularly.
5. Make Decisions
By now, you should have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish – as well as a plan for how you’re going to get there. Now that you’ve got all of that figured out, it’s time to make some decisions. For example:
What specific steps are necessary to make the changes, and it what order?
What will be the first and most important step for you to take?
6. Take Action
After having decided on which steps to take and which of those steps to be taken first, it’s time to get active! Follow your list and maybe ask for some input from friends or family members who have experience in those issues. As you progress in taking those steps, take time to reflect regularly in order to see how things are going, and make changes or adjustments as necessary.
7. Keep Going!
Whatever difficulties you may face in this process of bringing about change in your life, don’t give up! Not if you are persuaded that this is the right path for you to walk. One day, you might look back on this more or less challenging time and say “I did it! I changed my life!” – and that’s an amazing feeling, and will make you feel fulfilled and proud of your accomplishments.
At times, things may not go as planned, you may encounter difficulties and feel intimidated by all the hurdles you still have to jump in order to reach your goal.
Here are a few tips to keep yourself motivated and on track: take a quiet moment to reflect and identify with your ideal self. Look at photos of yourself when you were a kid, and remember what it felt like to be that person. Remember the things that inspired you at that age, and remind yourself of what you were looking forward to doing and becoming.
Use this time of reflection as a reminder of who you used to be, how far you have already come, and who you still want to be.
These seven steps are the key to any new path that you decide to take. As you set out on your journey, it’s helpful to know that there will be some setbacks and detours along the way, and that that’s completely normal and okay. The important thing is to remain focused on your goal and take small, manageable steps toward it – one step at a time.
