Steps for Life Change

I once read a quote that said, "if you don't like the direction of your life, change it!"  We all know that that is easier said then done right?!  It takes people years and sometimes it takes a lifetime to attempt to change their lives.

Obviously, wanting to change your life stems from some reason. Who wants to change what one thinks is good? Many of us come to the point where we want to change our lives when we are confused about what we thought our life should have been by a certain age, some of us want to change our lives when we hit that milestone age and think to ourselves, "there has to be more than this...right?" and still others want to change their lives because after they have done all they have done, their lives still feel kinda sorta empty and purposeless.

In reflecting on my own life, I feel that if we boil things down to the simplest form, all we need to change our life is a change in our mindset.  But the problem with changing our mindset is that it usually takes a crisis or many of them to force us to rethink how we think. Sometimes it takes being ok with others saying YOU ARE NOT OK when you determine in your mind that you want to change your life.  What are you prepared to do to change your life? How serious are you about this quest? Because it will take all of you to do it and you can't be a coward about it.

I can say this because honestly, I am the Reinvention queen. When something in my life was killing me, I cut it out. When I was going in one direction and felt like I was being untrue to my soul, I changed course. Sure, some think I am crazy. Many call be their "courageous" friend which is code for "I would never do what you have done loca!" But nevertheless, I've done it.

Are you ready to do it? If you are, then you need to start reflecting on your mindset. You have to start diving into the B.S. you have guiding your decisions (by the way, that stands for Belief Systems) and then you have to retrain your brain.  I wrote a book Don't Buy The Life: Eradicating False Belief Systems that Keep You from Your Destiny specifically to help people through this process. Here are six things you can do right now to change your life in 2017:

1. Be honest. Stop making excuses and blaming others for what is or is not happening in your life.  List the excuses/lies you have been buying and take responsibility for doing something about each one.
2. Stop being a chicken. Change is a fact of life and participating in change means stepping into the unknown. It means taking a risk. Wouldn’t life be boring if we always knew outcomes before actions?  The riskiest step is always the first. But with every step in the right direction, your courage muscles get stronger.
3. Focus on what matters. You keep spending time on the things and people that don't because you don't want to face what is nagging at your mind and heart. Cut it out already. Value your need and value your time.
4. Resolve change in your heart. If you make up your mind and determine in your heart that this is the year you will see some change, this is the year that will be different, your actions will start to look like what your intentions are. If you stay wishy-washy about change, your life will stay exactly the same.
5. Face your fears. You can't change what you don't confront. Be real with yourself! What is it that is paraylzing you. It is documented that 85% of most of the things we fear never actually happen. There isn't a better quote on this than “Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” ~Unknown
   
6. Imagine a new life. Imagine how your life will be different and better once you initiate change in your life.  Anticipate the joy, the excitement, and the empowerment that comes from being a leader in your own life.  Begin with small steps, but take action. There are no microwave miracles in successful life changes. It may take some time to see results. The only instant change is in attitude. You’ll finally be in charge of the direction and outcome of your life.  Imagine the best, then live it! I'm rooting for ya!