Are you wondering why true satisfaction and happiness escapes you?
Perhaps there’s one specific thing you want to change in your life?
It could getting fit, finding a new partner, or developing a new role for yourself.
Or maybe you’re not sure what makes you happy any more? You’re just not as content as you once were, and you want to reclaim your zest for life.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s time to change your life.
Starting today.
The truth is, most of us want to break free from the daily stuff that holds us back.
The commutes which last too long. The boss who doesn’t appreciate our efforts. The friends who just don’t get it.
But is it possible to change your life, in a fast-paced world, where you don’t have the space or energy to pursue even the most basic hobbies?
Yes, it is! And here’s why.
The solution lies in being in control of the life around you.
It is about learning how to make decisions that give you the life you deserve.
Finding the way isn’t as hard as you think. You have to plan a future for yourself which will bring vibrancy, excitement and positivity. Where you are in charge of your destiny.
To start with, you need to identify what you need to change. That can take time.
Ask yourself:
“If I were to live every day like I’ve done this past week – without altering anything at all, how would I feel in five years’ time?”
Would you be happy and content?
And is that what you truly want?
If not, you owe it to your future self to make change in your life.
Let’s look at four of the most common and accessible ways you can re-make your existence and how to become a better person.
1. Achieve Personal Growth
For some, life is about achieving a contented routine. Eating the same breakfast, buying the same coffee from Starbucks, on the way to the same job and coming home to watch the same shows on Netflix.
And, sure, we all need a degree of routine. Our brain needs it, so it can concentrate on the new challenges we face each day.
But too much routine can be a bad thing. It makes us set in our ways.
So ask yourself whether you’ve achieved all you want to. If you haven’t, it’s time to re-think your future.
Surprisingly, it’s not as hard as it sounds.
Extraordinary change requires you to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Doing something each day you haven’t done before. Surpassing the expectations you have of yourself – expectations subconsciously placed on you by other people.
Saying no to that donut in the office? Setting Becoming self employed? Going to the gym for the first time in years? They all count.
Or maybe it’s more drastic?
For some of us others, true happiness only comes from chasing the extraordinary. From an unshakeable self-belief that anything is possible. A real and determined commitment to personal growth.
You want to go self-employed? You’re going to complete a marathon for the first time? You’re planning on moving to a new country and starting afresh?
Either way, start by asking yourself some difficult questions:
- Do you truly like your job?
- Do you spend enough time on your passions?
- Are you in your ideal physical shape?
- Are all your relationships fun and truly worthwhile?
Once you understand the answers, you’re ready to plan your future.
Positive consequences flow from daring leaps of faith. Be brave and commit to turning your life around.
Book a confidential phone call
2. Find friends and get a social life
Your self-improvement can come in many forms. You don’t have to run around achieving Herculean feats all day long!
Finding friends is just as important. Satisfying relationships are crucial to maintaining a happier, healthier and even longer-lasting life.
Research shows that your closest group of friends are strongly linked to how happy you feel and how successful you are.
A landmark Harvard Study tracked hundreds of alumni for over 80 years. Robert Waldinger, director of the study, concluded that human relationships were integral to our overall health.
Human beings are innately social creatures. Having a strong social circle can lead to improved emotional, mental and even physical strength.
Your network is your net worth.
This has implications for all areas of your life – not just your bank balance!
Can the New Zealand All-Blacks do battle without total trust in their team? Does a Hollywood star appear in, and promote, a blockbuster movie without assistance?
I’ll let you answer that one.
There is simply so much evidence which proves the people around you can influence your life for the better – or for the worse.
If you haven’t already got a friendship group, don’t panic! You can easily find people who share your values, respect your time and admire your achievements.
Sports clubs are a fantastic way to meet new people. People you can socialise with almost immediately.
Do your friends make you feel good? Do they share your values? Can they be trusted when the going gets tough?
Think about it.
If the answer is NO to any of these, then maybe it’s time to change your life. Starting with the people in your life.
3. Start a family
Already got a family? Then you don’t need this section! There’s one more type of change below this.
If you truly want to reshape your lifestyle, the most radical and wonderful way you can achieve this is by starting a family. It satisfies an intensely deep and natural instinct which exists inside all of us.
Many people seem to ‘have it all’. They have a well-paid job, a close-knit circle of quality friends, and regularly go away on fabulous holidays.
When you start a family, all of this changes. Superficial things are replaced with deep-rooted emotional bonds.
All you want is for your child is to be happy, loved and to thrive. It’s a strong and powerful instinct you feel as a new parent which is unlike any other feeling.
You understand true devotion and develop an urge to build an environment where your little family can be happy, content and well-provided for.
You have no choice but to change! But it’s worth it.
As a parent, you cannot help but feel awash with joy when you see your children opening their presents at Christmas, beaming at even the smallest gifts.
Every day you can look into your child’s eyes, loving them completely and utterly, knowing that they love you right back!
Unconditional love gives you wings.
It is the most life-changing thing you can do.
To make that happen, you’re going to need a life long partner. And that doesn’t happen without effort. You may need to kiss a lot of frogs, as they say.
Book a confidential phone call
4. Get fit
Health is the most underrated topic by far. It is also the area most likely to be overcomplicated by people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
There are plenty of scientific methods, bogus training regimes and random facts out there which claim to help you achieve a rippling six-pack or 21-inch biceps.
But changing your life by improving your health and diet does not mean you have to become an elite performance athlete overnight.
Far from it.
If you only had one weekend to plan how to begin your new life, you could start with your health.
Improving your diet and getting fit can change your life in a profound way. You can end up more positive and full of energy. And that can lead to all kinds of unexpected improvements in your work, friendship and your love life.
Getting healthy can be done anywhere and at any time! You could nip out for a quick walk, or a traipse up and down some stairs. Just for two minutes.
Then, tonight for dinner, if you weren’t planning on it, lightly fry some green vegetables with a bit of soy sauce, and add to your food.
It’s that easy to start.
But you have to want to start – no one else can do it for you.
But getting healthier comes in many forms. Here’s the best-kept secret to physical health and banishing depression? Mindset.
The power of thinking positively and developing self-belief can’t be underestimated.
Establishing and maintaining a ‘growth mindset’ – the attitude that you can overcome any obstacle – is often completely revolutionary to how your life works out. And it’s linked to how you look and feel physically.
A recent randomised study, of over 200 participants, suggested that reprogramming your mind can alleviate the symptoms of chronic back pain. Another study concluded that some medication can actually negatively impact long-term recovery from back pain.
Read that again.
Exercise for 15 minutes every other morning. Eat at least one healthy meal a day. Halve your intake of alcohol and junk food. Say positive things about yourself – out loud!
Start small.
Replace some of your unhealthier tendencies right now with sustainable and common-sense solutions. You’ll instantly be on the way to looking and feeling your best.
You don’t have to become Rambo overnight. You just need to find a balanced, healthy and sustainable lifestyle that works for you.
And you must have the self-belief to try. You won’t change your life unless you do.
Book a confidential phone call
What’s next?
These are just four examples of the many types of change that people talk to us about.
If you need a little help to get started, consider joining Get Up and Go. The Silver and Gold levels of membership give you regular coaching that help you step forward into your future. Click here to learn about the programme.
Action Points
- If you want to make change, define the problem, and write it down.
- Realise that only you can achieve it.
- Accept that you will feel uncomfortable
- Typical examples are:
- Achieve personal growth
- Get fit
- Get friends and a social life
- Start a family
- Consider joining Get up and Go
Do you want help with achieving change in your life? We have a coaching programme that could help you. Learn more.
