How to make a lifestyle change

Change. A word a lot of us do not like the sound of. Change is scary and it is unnerving.

Sometimes it is better to keep things the way they are rather than rock the boat... right? Wrong! I agree that lifestyle changes can be pretty unsettling and can cause stress - on the other hand, it can also create a lot of happiness and relief.

As human beings, we are more inclined to moan rather than make a change. We talk about all the things we would like to do, yet very rarely do anything about it. Do you want to create change in your life? Are you scared of the consequences and effects that the change/s will have on your family and friends, and current lifestyle as you know it?

The first step is courage

If you are serious about making changes in your life, (no matter how big or small),  then the first step required is courage. Give some thought to what changes you want to make and why. Make a list in no particular order and try to be as specific as possible; do not be too general i.e. 'I want to be rich'. Once you have written down some meaningful changes that you feel would make a lot of difference in your life, prioritize them in order. Prioritize in any order you like - this can be the smallest to the largest of lifestyle changes or the most important to you at this time. Do not over think this process, just do it in a way that feels right to you.

Ok, so now you have that number one change that you would like to make. Now you need to think of all the reasons why this change has not taken place as of yet and what has been preventing you from pursuing it until now. Again, write all of this down as it comes to you on a separate page; the obstacles standing in your way and the possible solutions or opportunities to overcome them. (You will be surprised at what you come up with once you start!).

Last but not least, reflect on what you have written to counteract all the obstacles. Give yourself a realistic time frame for following through with at least one of the opportunities/solutions. That first step... even if it is tiny... decide on one. Make a promise to yourself that you will complete it within the specific time frame.

Stay motivated

Keep this piece of paper safe and try to read through it at least once a day. Remind yourself of why you want to make this change and how this first step is going to 'set the wheels in motion'. Close your eyes and imagine how you will feel once you have completed this first task. How closer will it have brought you to bringing about this particular change?

I have used this process countless of times to help me realize my goals and the writing aspect really helps make sense of it all mentally. I hope you try it for yourself and find it to be of some use! Let me know how you get on... the best of luck :-)