It’s a brand new month. Who can actually believe it is already October? I'm making a few changes in my life this month, because, well - because I can and because I want to. You can too, and below are four steps you need to take to get you on the right track.
Stand out. Be you. Do what you want to be doing in life, not because other people are telling you to do it. Once you have the thought of change, that thought stays with you. Now it is up to you to make those changes. Here are 4 ways to make a fresh start – new calendar year or just a random Wednesday.
Take Responsibility for Your Life
Go ahead and read that again. And again.
There are three types of people in this world: accusers, excusers, or choosers. Accusers blame others for anything that goes wrong in their life. If they lose their job, it’s their boss’ fault. If their student is failing, it is the teachers fault.
Excusers always have a reason for not doing something. It’s too cold to workout in the winter. It’s too expensive to eat healthy. There’s too much paperwork involved in starting my own business.
Choosers take responsibility for their life. They choose their decisions based on what will benefit them and their families. Choosers know that the only way to a better, more productive life is to stop blaming others and stop making excuses. What type of person are you?
Are you an Accuser, Excuser, or Chooser?
Believe You Can Change
You cannot make a fresh start if you do not believe in your ability to do so. You cannot change if you do not believe in yourself. Look deep into your core and ask yourself why you want to make a change. You need to know the why in order to believe.
If you always do what you have always done, you will always be where you have always been. You need to make a mind shift in order to make a change. How will you do this? It’s not as easy as telling yourself that you believe you can change.
The biggest way to believe in yourself is to make small steps toward the change you want to make. If you are seeing progress on a small scale, day by day, you will be more motivated to continue. If you try to make one large change in a short period of time, the chances of failure are much greater.
If you always do what you have always done, you will always be where you have always been.
If you want to become a writer, start by writing a page a day. As time goes on, you will see the progress you are making and you will be more eager to increase your writing. If you aim to write a book in a month – you are going to burnout! Burnout is the biggest issue facing entrepreneurs. Start small in order to reach your bigger goals. You will start to see the changes you are making in yourself, increasing your self-confidence and belief!
Clarify What is Important
Discern for yourself what is right. What is right in your life, for your goals, and for your values? What do you value? What do you want to change? Take time to answer these two questions. Be thoughtful in your answers. Do not let others’ opinions lead you to answer these questions.
Discern for yourself what is right.
Your values are going to be different than your partners, your parents, your family, and your friends. Same with what you want to change. By writing your values and what you want to change, you will have the beginnings of a plan. A plan as to where you want your life to go; a plan for the WHY behind your goals.
Review your values and what you want to change on a daily basis. Every morning when you wake up, I want you to look at this list. By repetition, by knowing what is most important to you, your day will look different. You will start to make different choices – sometimes without knowing it. Try this for a month and see where it takes you.
Decide To Do It Now
If you are trying to wait for the perfect moment to reach your goals, that time will never come. There is no perfect time for anything. Waiting for the perfect time is the best excuse.
Will change be hard? Yes. Will it be worth it? Yes! Do you need to make the decision to do it? YES! Every good plan begins with a decision. You can’t expect anyone to say that it is time to begin. You can’t expect people to reach your goals for you. It is on you.
You have taken responsibility for your life. You have the belief that you can change. You have clarified what is important. Now, do it. Make those changes. Reach your goals. Ask for help when you need it – there are many people who have been in your situation. Whether it is for weight loss, healthier eating, a new job, starting a company, addiction relief… someone has been there. Reach out, to friends, family, church, or groups online. You have support! Do not be afraid to use it.
Here’s to your fresh start!