"I want to change my life": 23 steps to a fresh start.
Shedding old habits and embracing more useful and motivating ones can be confusing.
We've all, at some point in our lives, wanted to change. Whether it's because our partner has left us and we were largely to blame, or because we were pursuing a college degree that wasn't really what we wanted.
Change is something normal in human beings and in nature, but it is not always easy. From these experiences it is very normal and understandable to come to the following conclusion: "I want to change my life"..
Keys to change your life
Change or transformation is an individual process that begins in oneself, therefore, we are the main drivers of our change. But it is frequent that our own beliefs or fear to change can interfere in the change of life that we imagine so much.
If you are determined to change, in the following lines you will find the steps you will find the necessary steps to carry out the process of change..
1. Know yourself
When starting over, the first step is to get to know yourself. is to know yourself. Know what your desires are, what qualities you possess and what direction you want to take. The first step to change is self-reflection and self-knowledge.
- Recommended article: "Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection".
2. Find a purpose in your life
Self-knowledge is key to be able to find out what is your purpose in life. Having a purpose in life is key because it keeps us motivated: it is the force that helps us to move and that vertebrates our day to day. However, change is not only about visualizing the purpose, but also about enjoying the journey while pursuing it. enjoying the journey while pursuing it..
3. Do it for you
To do the above effectively it is necessary to connect with oneself, which is why it is so useful to know oneself in depth. Because many times we think we want to change, but it is the opinion of others that influences us in such a way that we believe that what they impose on us is what we want. that we believe that what they impose on us is what we want.. The goals to pursue must be genuine, otherwise it will be difficult to change.
4. Be open to change
The previous point leads us to make the decision to change, and therefore, it is necessary to have a good dose of willingness. Being open to change means being willing to transform ourselves and to pursue goals through a certain amount of effort.
5. Plan the change
Once we are clear about our desire to want to change and we know what we want to change, it is necessary to plan the change. If possible even have it written down on paper, as it is easier to visualize and allows less effort to bring it to mind when we need it. He should set small sub-objectives and set a date for them.
6. But... set short term goals
It is not enough to only set long-term goals, but we need to take into account short-term goals as well, as this is the only way to stay motivated during the process of change and not to forget our commitment.
7. Get out of the comfort zone
The comfort zone is an intangible place where we feel protected and comfortable.and getting out of this zone causes us to make an effort to test mental schemes that, despite seeming adaptive, are not always so.
8. Don't be afraid of uncertainty
And the fact is that leaving the comfort zone can provoke a certain degree of anxiety, largely due to the fear of uncertainty.largely due to the fear of uncertainty. Not knowing what awaits us when we change can produce fear if we do not have enough confidence in ourselves or if we visualize only the negative consequences of the transformation. That is why we must put aside this irrational fear and try to analyze the risks calmly and analytically..
9. Be aware that there may be ups and downs.
Accepting that we may fail is also positive. This does not mean that we should give up if things do not go as we wish, but that we should be prepared to overcome and get up as soon as possible after a fall.
10. Self-motivate yourself
Knowing how to be self-motivated is also one of the keys to change, and it is one of the best qualities a person can possess.
- If you want to know how to do it, you can read this article: "The 10 keys to motivate yourself".
11. Don't compare yourself to anyone else
Change is an individual process: you are the one who says "I want to change my life", not someone else subject to a context very different from yours. That is why you should not compare yourself with others, but stay true to yourself and your desires and fight with all your strength.
12. Do not blindly pay attention to the opinions of others.
Nor should you pay attention to all the opinions of others, because some people tend to project their own some people tend to project their own fears onto you.. If someone does not have the will to change, it is likely that he or she does not believe that you can change either.
13. Think about the reward
To remain self-motivated during the change process, it is important to visualize the reward or positive consequences of achieving the change. However, it is important not to forget that the process of transformation is in itself a reward.
14. Love yourself
It is also important that you are not too hard on yourself and accept that things may not go as you planned. Of course, you can rectify and learn from failures. If you don't have empathy for yourself, who will?
15. Be realistic
The objectives and goals we set for ourselves should always be realistic, otherwise, we may find ourselves with false expectations that can get in the way of the process of change and lead to frustration, which is not only unpleasant but also takes away the desire to make an effort.
16. Challenge your limiting beliefs
Limiting beliefs are those irrational thoughts that do not allow us to change and that interfere in our individual growth. interfere in our individual growth. For example, "I am not able to do this because I am always unlucky". Overcoming this type of thoughts is necessary in order not to stay halfway to change.
17. Take responsibility
Taking responsibility means empowering oneself in the face of change. It is the ability to respond to the events that occur around us with sufficient capacity for self-leadership, which allows us to overcome adversity. You must be clear that you are the person responsible for your decisions.
18. Abandon victimhood
The opposite of taking responsibility for change is to play the victim. While responsibility is action, victimhood is paralyzing..
19. Seek help
Accept help from others if you believe that their willingness to lend you a hand is genuine.. If among your friends or family there is no one capable of helping you with certain things, you may consider hiring coaches, teachers or trainers.
Coaches are experts in personal development and help people improve their self-awareness, plan realistic goals, become empowered in the face of change and become self-motivated. Hiring a professional in this field can be useful to maximize your chances of transformation.
20. Don't lose sight of the present
Keeping your feet on the ground is vital to carry out the change process, that is why it is important to be in the here and now, connected with yourself.connected with yourself. It is good to have change in mind, but to achieve change you have to work daily and not forget where you are on a daily basis.
21. Take advantage of the way to learn
When things do not go as planned it is necessary to learn from the experience and get back on track, i.e., to get hooked again.In other words, get hooked on change again. Successful people are those who learn from failures and get up again and again after falling.
22. Practice detachment
Detachment, understood as emotional release, is key to the process of change. This does not mean getting rid of the important people in our life, but it helps us to visualize things from a much more realistic and less emotional perspective.
- You can learn more about detachment in this article: "5 laws of detachment to be emotionally free".
23. Learn to manage emotions
Both excess and lack of motivation can interfere in the process of change, and although some think that excess motivation is positive, it can cause us to have too high expectations, it can cause us to have overly high expectations in the change process, which can lead to frustration. Being aware of our emotions and learning to manage them is a determining factor in personal transformation.
To start over is to let go
In conclusion, we can highlight the idea that in order to change we must learn to make decisions, accept commitments and accept the idea that it is better to let go of certain elements of our daily lives.
In this way, personal development will be carried out in an effective way and there will be no demotivating and frustrating setbacks. and there will be no demotivating and frustrating setbacks.
(Updated at Apr 15 / 2024)