Be honest with yourself. Everyone comes up with excuses and blames others sometimes. Recognizing these behaviors in yourself is the first step to changing them. Be objective and pinpoint places where you can improve. Remember that your choices, thoughts, and actions are in your control, not someone else’s. Acknowledging this helps you move forward. If you do mess up, accept that it happened, but don’t dwell on it. Instead, move past it and try to change your behavior so you don’t do it again.
For example, if you’re dealing with family drama, you might say, “I can’t control how my sister behaves. I can set healthy boundaries and say ‘no’ when she makes unreasonable demands. ”
Things in our past are beyond our control. Learn from past mistakes, but try not to fixate on them. You can’t successfully move forward if you keep looking backward. You can’t change other people, only yourself. Don’t obsess over what other people do. Talk to people if they hurt you, but if you have done everything you can, let it go. You can only control yourself.
Answer realistically. Travelling around Europe for 6 months or becoming a millionaire may be out of your reach. However, saving up for a vacation or getting a job promotion are things that you can work on achieving.
Are there better days for you to perform certain responsibilities? Can you buy groceries on a Thursday night instead of spending your Saturday in the grocery store? Find ways to adjust your life so you get everything done but still have time for yourself. Does your job make you happy? If not, decide how you feel about that. Do you want a different career or a promotion? Or are you happy with your job despite not being passionate for your work because it has flexible hours or great pay? You don’t have to be passionate about everything in life. Instead, decide if you are okay with the aspects of your life and accept what role they play. [5] X Research source
Prioritize your time and commitments. This is especially important if you are busy and pressed for time. Decide what has to be done, what things can slide, and what needs your attention. Make a to-do list. This can help you not forget anything. It will also give you a sense of accomplishment once you finally cross things off the list. Just remember, don’t be discouraged if you don’t finish everything. Instead, focus on what you have finished. [6] X Research source
Not all changes are permanent. For example, if you are going through a depressive period, this doesn’t mean you’ll never feel happy again. You may just need to look for new ways to find meaning and fulfillment in your life. [7] X Research source
For example, if you’ve ever thought “I’m not a runner,” ask yourself why. Is it because you physically can’t run due to an injury, because you’re not a marathon runner with an 8 minute mile stride, or because you’ve never tried? Instead of just accepting that thought, think about realistic goals you can set to get you on the path to running. If you have an injury, consider signing up for physical therapy. If you’re out of shape, you might start with a couch-to-5k program. Even if your best pace is a 13-minute mile, you’re still running![8] X Research source Try new things. Do something that scares you and that you think you can’t do. Sometimes you will fail or feel like an idiot. But sometimes you will succeed, improve your life, and even make friends.
Of course you don’t want to hurt the people you love, but if you are doing what’s right for you, they should understand and support you. The people you love shouldn’t bring you down. If they do, talk to them. Learn to say no. You don’t always have to do everything for everyone else. Sometimes, you don’t have time to commit to something or don’t have the energy to do something. That’s okay. Saying no doesn’t make you a bad person. [9] X Research source
Join a community organization to meet people and get involved. Put a profile on an online dating site. Join a meetup group and go to an event. [10] X Research source
Focus instead on internal factors. Don’t compare yourself others. Be the best you that you can be. Enjoy what your financial circumstances allow you, even if that is just going on day trips instead of month-long voyages to the Caribbean. Live your life according to your core values. Be a good, honest, loyal, hardworking person. Value your individual work and what you offer the world above being the best at everything. [11] X Research source Instead of focusing on your image, choose to do things that build on your individual strengths. For example, if you’re trying to decide on a career path, choose something that you find interesting instead of whatever seems most prestigious.
Start by getting out of the house and walking for 30 minutes 3 times a week. Go for a hike in a park you’ve never been to. Join a gym and go to a spin, weightlifting, zumba, or crossfit class. Sign up for that 5k you’ve always wanted to do and start training to run it.
Start by getting out of the house and walking for 30 minutes 3 times a week. Go for a hike in a park you’ve never been to. Join a gym and go to a spin, weightlifting, zumba, or crossfit class. Sign up for that 5k you’ve always wanted to do and start training to run it.
Cut out processed food. That includes boxed meals, take out, and prepackaged snacks. These things are not good for your body. Replace processed, artificial foods with natural foods. Eat fruits and vegetables. Eat usable carbs, like quinoa and oatmeal. Eat lean meats, such as fish and chicken. Eating healthy doesn’t mean starving yourself. Simply make better choices for meals and snacks. [13] X Research source For breakfast, try an omelet with tomato, spinach, ham, and avocado. Or try oatmeal with fruit, like strawberries, pineapple, or banana, nuts, and dark chocolate chips. For lunch, eat a kale bowl with sautéed vegetables such as kale, asparagus, carrots, or broccoli, avocado, tomato, chickpeas, beans such as cannellini or black beans, protein such as chicken, tilapia, or salmon, and feta cheese. For dinner, cook a lean protein and an array of vegetables.
Remember to start slow, and don’t try to do everything at once. Some unhealthy habits, like smoking, can be extremely hard to break. If you want to quit drinking or smoking, but aren’t sure how to do it, talk to your doctor. They may be able to offer practical advice or prescribe medications to help you quit, if necessary.
Start by writing down what you want to change. Then, think about how you can change it. Look at the list. What is something you feel you can accomplish this week? Maybe you’re not ready to give up sugar completely, but you can start by eating a healthier breakfast every day this week. Once you gain some momentum and feel successful in what you’ve accomplished so far, your bigger goals will not seem so impossible to tackle.
Set an alarm for 10 minutes and turn on some music. Spend that time making your bed, putting away laundry, loading the dishwasher, vacuuming – whatever chore needs to be done. [15] X Research source Assign a room for each day of the week. Mondays you clean your bedroom, while Tuesdays are for your bathroom, and Wednesdays you work on your kitchen. This way you tidy up your entire home throughout the week.
Instead of working on 5 different incomplete projects and making a small amount of progress in each one, choose 1 project to devote your time to until you have finished it. That’s 1 less thing on your to do list. Don’t try to clean your entire house at the same time. Focus on 1 room and refrain from moving to another room until that room is clean.
Sort through your mail, do your laundry, or take the recycling to the nearest center. These days can be used for things that aren’t chores. Respond to e-mails, call your parents, or have lunch with a friend. [17] X Research source
Try a list app. Use this to make to do lists of what you need to do every day, for that week, or just in general. Use the app to make a list of things you want to do, like what movies you want to see and activities you want to complete. Use fitness apps. There are apps that will lead you through workouts and race training programs. Other apps will count your calories and give you recipe suggestions for weight loss. There are even apps that will remind you to drink water. These apps can help you stay on track, keep you motivated, and remind you to stay healthy. [18] X Research source
