How many times have you told yourself that you are going to improve your life, but ended doing nothing?
How many times have you been dissatisfied with some aspects of your life and vowed to change them, but did not follow through with your decision?
What is holding you back, preventing you from improving your life? It is lack of enthusiasm, motivation, desire, determination, willpower and discipline.
Do you, like many others, promise yourself to make changes in your life, especially at the beginning of a new year? This also happens after reading a book or an article about someone, who transformed his life or achieved great success. However, the desire to make improvements does not last long, and the enthusiasm quickly wanes away.
Is it possible to make positive changes? Yes, it is certainly possible, but you have to make a plan, follow certain strategies and techniques, and make some inner changes in your viewpoint and in the manner of your thinking.
How to Improve Your Life in 12 Steps
1. Decide what it is you want to improve. Be specific. Sit down where you can be alone and undisturbed, and write down a list of goals. Next, analyse what you wrote, to find out whether you really want to achieve the items on your list. You will most probably discover that you don’t really want to achieve some of them. Strike off the one you don’t really want.
2. Copy, on another piece of paper, the items left in your list, which you really want to achieve. Write them down in order of importance.
3. Think about a plan, how you can make them come true. Be as practical as possible, using your common sense, intuition, imagination and creativity.
4. Come up with something, a first step, even if it is quite minor, which you can do right now, such as buying a book with information about your goal, attending a lecture, listening to motivating CDs, looking for courses or workshops that can help you improve your life, or any other step that will take you closer to achieving your goal.
5. Read inspiring books and articles about people who have attained success in the area of your choice. This will enhance your enthusiasm and motivation.
6. Visualise the improvements you want to bring about. See them as already real and true. Make the mental pictures vivid and alive.
7. Keep your desire, enthusiasm and motivation alive, by thinking often how you would like your life to look like. Also, think often about the benefits and advantages you will gain by improving your life, circumstances, your financial condition, health, or anything else.
8. Repeat affirmations. They will constantly remind you of your goals, and programme your subconscious mind to assist you in achieving them.
9. Don’t let anything deter you from improving your life. Don’t give in if there are obstacles, delays or difficulties.
Be determined to do what you have decided to do, no matter how much time or effort it takes. This is the way successful people act.
10. Developing strong willpower and self-discipline will endow you with the power to overcome any obstacle and difficulty and make you persistent in your efforts. These two skills can be developed through special techniques and exercises.
11. Have faith in yourself and in your ability to improve your life, you financial condition, your habits and your behaviour.
12. Be willing and open to accept change. Don’t be passive, waiting for improvement to enter your life without doing anything. Take action, grab opportunities, and be willing to change your habits and lifestyle.
Remember, making resolutions is not enough; you need to do something about them. If you have made resolutions in the past, but did not follow them through, it was because you were not serious and your desire was not strong enough.
You can improve your life on all levels, but you need to follow a plan, keep up your enthusiasm, desire and motivation, and not give in, when facing difficulties and obstacles.
It might take some time and effort to improve your life, but this is worthwhile and rewarding goal.
Sasson is a life coach and motivational speaker