We know we want better, but we do not always know what that looks like. Many people felt a general dissatisfaction with their lives at the start of the pandemic. The near-brush with such a deadly disease has made many people realize that their short-term needs have distracted them from reaching for their long-term desires.
You can either feel depressed that your life looks different from the way you imagined it, or you can fight the feeling and start living your life the right way. This means making plans and schedules to help you seek organization and upheaval. It may not be comfortable, and you may find yourself intimidated at times. But hold steadfast in the knowledge that you will finally be where you want to be in the end.
Sometimes, it really is about the destination. However, the journey there can be fun as well. There are lots of small steps you can take to start improving your mindset and make changes to your life. A good way to spur on your initial motivation is to make one big change you have always wanted but have not. For instance, get a fancy new haircut and color from a celebrity hairdresser. This is an exciting makeover, and your hair will finally look exactly the way you want. You could also finally get a tattoo or donate all your clothes and upgrade your style.
The success of overcoming your fear and doing something for yourself will give you the impetus you need to keep going with your lifestyle upgrade plan.
Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a good way to help you identify the things you enjoy and appreciate about your current life. Even if you feel that you are not living to the best of your abilities, there must still be things you can really appreciate about your days. Write down these things and explore how they make you feel and why you are grateful for them. This will help to clear your mind a great deal. It will encourage positive thinking and help you find the good parts of your life that you want to maintain. It may even help you to realize that your current life is not far removed from your ideal lifestyle.
This is a simple and heartfelt way to get started on becoming the person you always wanted to be from the inside.
Try a Bucket List Item
Once you have started your gratitude journal, you may start to see that your life can weather action and adventure from you without things falling apart. It will make you realize that the people who encourage you to reach your dreams are the right people and that the people who pull you down are crabs in a bucket that you need to avoid.
Talk to one or a few of your supportive friends and make plans to do something that you have always wanted to try but felt too nervous about attempting until now. This can be anything on your bucket list, from a stand-up comedy open night to skydiving over the Grand Canyon.
It will make you uncomfortable in a really good way. It will also help you re-evaluate where you thought your limits were and expand your comfort zone. You will start making more meaningful connections with your friends so that you and they can become a closer and better support group. This way, you can grow together in success and in friendship.
Work on Your Confidence
Confidence is the secret to success in a lot of ways. Confidence in employees looks like strong leadership skills and trustworthiness. In dating, confidence makes you seem more attractive and brings the right kind of people who value self-respect and maturity into your life.
There are many things that could be sapping your confidence away. For example, you may have been bullied as a child or have had highly critical parents. Perhaps a former partner was cruel to you, and your self-esteem has been shaken. It may even be the voice in your head keeping you from believing in yourself.
You need to fight this. It will be hard, but you must accept that your greatest battle is within. Do everything you can to achieve a better self-image. Therapy is very effective for some people, and group counseling helps others. Exercise and reciting affirmations have also helped many people. You need to want to trust yourself. That is what will keep you on the path to confidence even on the hard days.
Live with Intent
A lifestyle change requires living intentionally. It means that you must begin to restructure your months, weeks, and eventually even your days. For example, you may find that you need to give up coffee to reduce your anxiety. This can feel like too much, but you can start by reducing your caffeine intake and slowly work your way out of it. Perhaps your ideal lifestyle requires more money than you currently earn. Start a side hustle or make a budget. A little effort goes a long way when you are finally living authentically.
After all, there is no time limit or deadline that you need to reach. Understand this, and you will soon find yourself making healthier choices simply because they are good for you.
